泥潭
ní tán · HSK 7
quagmire
泥 mud + 潭 deep pool = a mud-pool you sink into: a quagmire
泥 means mud and 潭 is a deep pool or pond, so 泥潭 is literally a deep mud-pool. The ní tán sound carries the muddy, bogged-down sense of being stuck.
泥 — water radical 氵 + 尼 (phonetic)
泥 is a phono-semantic compound. The water radical 氵 indicates a connection to water or wetness, while 尼 (ní) supplies the pronunciation. Together they denote 'mud'—earth mixed with water—and by extension soft, sticky substances like plaster or paste.