充满
chōngmǎn · HSK 3
be brimming with
🌊 充 (fill) + 满 (full) = filled to the brim, brimming with
充 means to fill or supply; 满 means full or complete. Together 充满 stacks two near-synonyms for emphasis — something is filled completely, brimming over with whatever it contains.
充 — 育 (raise/grow) on top of 儿 (legs/person)
Originally depicted a person walking forward, suggesting movement and advancement. The form combines a growth element above with a person below, evoking the sense of being filled up or made full as one grows. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'go forward' to 'fill, fulfill, abundant'.
满 — water 氵 + 㒼 (phonetic)
满 is a phono-semantic compound. The water radical 氵 gives the meaning, originally referring to a vessel filled to the brim with water, while 㒼 supplies the sound. From 'full of water' the sense broadened to 'full, filled, complete,' and later 'satisfied' or 'entirely.'