深深
shēn shēn · HSK 6
deep
🌊 Shin-deep is shallow; shēn shēn is ocean-floor deep
Reduplication intensifies meaning in Chinese. 深 alone means deep; doubling it to 深深 conveys profoundly deep, emotionally or physically. The water radical 氵 nods to fathomless depths.
深 — water radical 氵 + 罙 (phonetic, depth)
深 combines the water radical 氵 with 罙, which depicts a hand reaching into a cave or hollow. Originally it described deep water, then broadened to mean 'deep' in any sense — distance, color, or feeling. The 氵 gives the meaning, while 罙 hints at both sound and the idea of reaching far in.
深 — water radical 氵 + 罙 (phonetic, depth)
深 combines the water radical 氵 with 罙, which depicts a hand reaching into a cave or hollow. Originally it described deep water, then broadened to mean 'deep' in any sense — distance, color, or feeling. The 氵 gives the meaning, while 罙 hints at both sound and the idea of reaching far in.