DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

沉潛

简沉潜 · 繁沉潛

Mandarin · pinyin chén qián

to lurk under water
to immerse oneself in (study etc)
to lie low; to keep a low profile
quiet; reserved; self-possessed

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Characters in this entry

沉: chén · sink, submerge; addicted to
潛: Look up this written character
潜: qián · hide; hidden, secret, latent

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–2 · chen2 qian2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

沉潛 · find source passages ↗ · 沉潜 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

to stay under water
to concentrate one’s mind

adj

(literary) reserved

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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