淡

See also: 澹

淡 U+6DE1, 淡 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6DE1 ← 淠 [U+6DE0] CJK Unified Ideographs 淢 → [U+6DE2]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

淡 (Kangxi radical 85, 水+8, 11 strokes, cangjie input 水火火 (EFF), four-corner 3918₉, composition ⿰氵炎)

Derived characters

• 𠻪, 𫮡, 𢴗, 𥊗, 𧐽, 𨤵, 𦸁, 䆱, 𥲄, 𰊣, 𰝘, 𩉀

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 630, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 17660
• Dae Jaweon: page 1032, character 17
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1660, character 8
• Unihan data for U+6DE1

Chinese

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (炎) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
倓	*l'oːmʔ, *l'aːm, *l'aːms
緂	*l̥ʰaːm, *l̥ʰaːmʔ, *l̥ʰjam
毯	*l̥ʰaːmʔ
菼	*l̥ʰaːmʔ
裧	*l̥ʰaːmʔ, *l̥ʰjam, *l̥ʰjams
賧	*l̥ʰaːms
睒	*l̥ʰaːms, *hljamʔ
舕	*l̥ʰaːms
談	*l'aːm
郯	*l'aːm
惔	*l'aːm, *l'aːmʔ, *l'aːms
錟	*l'aːm
淡	*l'aːm, *l'aːmʔ, *l'aːms, *lamʔ
痰	*l'aːm
餤	*l'aːm
啖	*l'aːmʔ, *l'aːms
腅	*l'aːms
剡	*ɦljamʔ, *lamʔ
覢	*hljamʔ
掞	*hljams
炎	*ɦlam
琰	*lamʔ
棪	*lamʔ
扊	*lamʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *l'aːm, *l'aːmʔ, *l'aːms, *lamʔ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 炎 (OC *ɦlam).

Etymology 1

trad.		淡
simp. #		淡

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): dàn (dan⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄢˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): dan⁴

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): taam⁵ / daam⁶

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): am⁴ / ham¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): tan⁵
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): thâm / tham

  (Hailu, HRS): tam^ˋ / tam^˖

  (Meixian, Guangdong): tam¹ / tam⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): dan³
• Eastern Min (BUC): dâng

• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): tāⁿ / tām

  (Teochew, Peng'im): dan⁶ / dam⁶

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶de
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): dan⁵ / dan⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dàn
    • Wade–Giles: tan⁴
    • Yale: dàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dann
    • Palladius: дань (danʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tän⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: dan⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: dan
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tan²¹³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: taam⁵ / daam⁶
    • Yale: táahm / daahm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: taam⁵ / daam⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: tam⁵ / dam⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰaːm¹³/, /taːm²²/

Note:

• taam5 - vernacular;
• daam6 - literary.

• • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: am⁴ / ham¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /am²¹/, /ham³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: tan⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰan¹¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thâm / tham
    • Hakka Romanization System: tam^ˊ / tam
    • Hagfa Pinyim: tam¹ / tam⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰam²⁴/, /tʰam⁵⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: tam^ˋ / tam^˖
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰam⁵³/, /tʰam³³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: tam¹ / tam⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰam⁴⁴/, /tʰam⁵³/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: dan³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /tæ̃⁴⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: dâng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɑŋ²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tāⁿ / tām
    • Tâi-lô: tānn / tām
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dva, dam
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tã²²/, /tam²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tã⁴¹/, /tam⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tã²²/, /tam²²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tã³³/, /tam³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tã³³/, /tam³³/
Note:
• tāⁿ - vernacular;
• tām - literary.
• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: dan⁶ / dam⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tăⁿ / tăm
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tã³⁵/, /tam³⁵/
Note:
• dan6 - vernacular;
• dam6 - literary.
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁶de
    • MiniDict: de^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³de
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /de²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /de²³¹/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: dan⁵ / dan⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tan²¹/, /tan⁴⁵/
Note:
• dan5 - vernacular;
• dan4 - literary.

---

• Middle Chinese: damX, damH

Rime
Character	淡	淡
Reading #	2/4	4/4
Initial (聲)	定 (7)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	談 (143)	談 (143)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	徒敢切	徒濫切
Baxter	damX	damH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/dɑmX/	/dɑmH/
Pan Wuyun	/dɑmX/	/dɑmH/
Shao Rongfen	/dɑmX/	/dɑmH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/damX/	/damH/
Li Rong	/dɑmX/	/dɑmH/
Wang Li	/dɑmX/	/dɑmH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/dʱɑmX/	/dʱɑmH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	dàn	dàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	daam6	daam6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[l]ˤamʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*l'aːmʔ/, /*l'aːms/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	淡
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	dàn
Middle Chinese	‹ damX ›
Old Chinese	/*[l]ˁamʔ/
English	insipid
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	淡	淡
Reading #	2/4	3/4
No.	14300	14305
Phonetic component	炎	炎
Rime group	談	談
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	噉	憺
Old Chinese	/*l'aːmʔ/	/*l'aːms/

Definitions

淡

1. (of food) bland; tasteless

   啲湯好淡／啲汤好淡 [Cantonese]  ―  di¹ tong¹ hou² taam⁵ [Jyutping]  ―  the soup is very bland

2. (of color) light; pale

   Synonym: 淺 / 浅

   Antonyms: 濃 / 浓 (nóng), 深 (shēn)

3. (of liquid or gas) thin; low in density
4. indifferent; cold
5. slack; dull

   淡季  ―  dànjì  ―  slack season; off-season

6. meaningless; trivial

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 淡 (“bland; tasteless; not salty”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		淡
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	淡, 口輕
	Taiwan	淡
	Harbin	淡
	Singapore	淡
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	淡, 甜, 口輕
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	善
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	甜
	Wanrong	甜
	Xi'an	甜, 淡
	Xining	甜, 淡
	Xuzhou	淡
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	淡
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	淡
	Wuhan	淡
	Guiyang	淡
	Guilin	淡
	Liuzhou	淡
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	淡
	Yangzhou	淡
	Hefei	淡
Cantonese	Guangzhou	淡
	Hong Kong	淡
	Dongguan	淡
	Yangjiang	淡
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	淡
Gan	Nanchang	淡
	Lichuan	淡
	Pingxiang	淡
Hakka	Meixian	淡
	Yudu	淡
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	淡
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	淡
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	淡
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	淡
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	淡
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	淡
	Senai (Huiyang)	淡
Jin	Taiyuan	淡, 甜
	Xinzhou	甜
Northern Min	Jian'ou	䭕
	Jian'ou (Dikou)	䭕
	Zhenghe (Zhenqian)	䭕
	Jianyang	䭕
	Wuyishan	䭕
	Pucheng (Shibei)	䭕
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	䭕
	Fuzhou (Changle)	䭕
	Fuqing	䭕
	Yongtai	䭕
	Gutian	䭕
	Fu'an	䭕
	Ningde	䭕
	Shouning	䭕
	Zhouning	䭕
	Fuding	䭕
Southern Min	Xiamen	䭕
	Quanzhou	䭕
	Yongchun	䭕
	Zhangzhou	䭕
	Zhangzhou (Longhai)	䭕
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	䭕
	Zhangpu	䭕
	Zhao'an	䭕
	Penang (Hokkien)	䭕
	Singapore (Hokkien)	䭕
	Chaozhou	䭕
	Shantou	䭕
	Shantou (Chenghai)	䭕
	Jieyang	䭕
	Haifeng	䭕
	Bangkok (Teochew)	䭕
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	䭕
	Leizhou	䭕
	Haikou	䭕
Puxian Min	Putian	䭕
Central Min	Yong'an	䭕
	Sanming (Shaxian)	䭕
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	淡
Wu	Shanghai	淡
	Shanghai (Chongming)	淡
	Suzhou	淡
	Danyang	淡
	Hangzhou	淡
	Ningbo	淡
	Wenzhou	淡
	Jinhua	淡
Xiang	Changsha	淡
	Loudi	淡
	Shuangfeng	淡

Compounds

• 下淡水溪
• 冷淡 (lěngdàn)
• 喫淡酒 / 吃淡酒
• 平和恬淡
• 平淡 (píngdàn)
• 平淡無奇 / 平淡无奇
• 恬淡 (tiándàn)
• 恬淡寡欲
• 恬淡無欲 / 恬淡无欲
• 恬淡無為 / 恬淡无为
• 慘淡 / 惨淡 (cǎndàn)
• 扯淡 (chědàn)
• 攻苦食淡
• 暗淡 (àndàn)
• 暗淡無光 / 暗淡无光 (àndànwúguāng)
• 民患淡食
• 沖淡 / 冲淡 (chōngdàn)
• 泔淡
• 海水淡化 (hǎishuǐ dànhuà)
• 淡不剌
• 淡不淡
• 淡交
• 淡入
• 淡冷處 / 淡冷处
• 淡出 (dànchū)
• 淡化 (dànhuà)
• 淡奶 (dànnǎi)
• 淡妝 / 淡妆 (dànzhuāng)
• 淡妝濃抹 / 淡妆浓抹
• 淡妝素服 / 淡妆素服
• 淡季 (dànjì)
• 淡定 (dàndìng)
• 淡巴菰 (dànbāgū)
• 淡廝 / 淡厮
• 淡彩
• 淡忘 (dànwàng)
• 淡抹
• 淡掃蛾眉 / 淡扫蛾眉
• 淡於名利 / 淡于名利
• 淡月
• 淡水 (dànshuǐ)
• 淡水河 (Dànshuǐ Hé)
• 淡水湖 (dànshuǐhú)
• 淡水漁業 / 淡水渔业
• 淡水養殖 / 淡水养殖
• 淡水魚 / 淡水鱼 (dànshuǐyú)
• 淡江 (Dànjiāng)
• 淡江大學 / 淡江大学
• 淡沱
• 淡沲
• 淡泊 (dànbó)
• 淡泊名利 (dànbómínglì)
• 清淡 (qīngdàn)
• 淡淡 (dàndàn)
• 淺淡 / 浅淡 (qiǎndàn)
• 淡漠 (dànmò)
• 淡濛濛 / 淡蒙蒙
• 淡然 (dànrán)
• 淡然無味 / 淡然无味
• 淡然處之 / 淡然处之
• 淡竹 (dànzhú)
• 淡而無味 / 淡而无味
• 淡色
• 清茶淡話 / 清茶淡话
• 清茶淡飯 / 清茶淡饭
• 淡薄 (dànbó)
• 淡薄無味 / 淡薄无味
• 淡話 / 淡话 (dànhuà)
• 淡雅 (dànyǎ)
• 淡青
• 淡飯 / 淡饭
• 淡飯清茶 / 淡饭清茶
• 濃妝淡抹 / 浓妆淡抹
• 濃抹淡妝 / 浓抹淡妆
• 濃淡 / 浓淡 (nóngdàn)
• 澹淡
• 澹淡經營 / 澹淡经营
• 熬枯受淡
• 熬清守淡
• 發淡科 / 发淡科
• 看淡後市 / 看淡后市
• 粉淡香殘 / 粉淡香残
• 粗茶淡飯 / 粗茶淡饭 (cūchádànfàn)
• 粗衣淡飯 / 粗衣淡饭
• 素淡 (sùdàn)
• 說淡話 / 说淡话
• 輕描淡寫 / 轻描淡写 (qīngmiáodànxiě)
• 閒扯淡 / 闲扯淡
• 雅淡
• 雲淡風輕 / 云淡风轻 (yúndànfēngqīng)
• 顄淡 / 𱂰淡 (hàndàn)
• 風輕雲淡 / 风轻云淡 (fēngqīngyúndàn)
• 鬼扯淡
• 鹹嘴淡舌 / 咸嘴淡舌
• 黯淡 (àndàn)
• 黯淡無光 / 黯淡无光 (àndànwúguāng)
• 黲淡 / 黪淡 (cǎndàn)

Etymology 2

trad.		淡
simp. #		淡

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǎn, yàn (yan³, yan⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢˇ, ㄧㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jim⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǎn
    • Wade–Giles: yen³
    • Yale: yǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yean
    • Palladius: янь (janʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn²¹⁴/
      
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yàn
    • Wade–Giles: yen⁴
    • Yale: yàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yann
    • Palladius: янь (janʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jim⁵
    • Yale: yíhm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jim⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: yim⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːm¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: yemX

Rime
Character	淡
Reading #	3/4
Initial (聲)	以 (36)
Final (韻)	鹽 (153)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	以冉切
Baxter	yemX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/jiᴇmX/
Pan Wuyun	/jiɛmX/
Shao Rongfen	/jæmX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/jiamX/
Li Rong	/iɛmX/
Wang Li	/jĭɛmX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯ɛmX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yǎn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jim5

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*lamʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	淡
Reading #	4/4
No.	14319
Phonetic component	炎
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	琰
Old Chinese	/*lamʔ/
Notes	見宋玉賦

Definitions

淡

1. only used in 淡淡 (yǎnyǎn, yànyàn)
2. (historical dictionaries only) appearance of water

Compounds

• 流水淡淡

Etymology 3

trad.		淡
simp. #		淡

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tán (tan²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄢˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): taam⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tán
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tán
    • Wade–Giles: tʻan²
    • Yale: tán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tarn
    • Palladius: тань (tanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰän³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: taam⁴
    • Yale: tàahm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: taam⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: tam⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰaːm²¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: dam

Rime
Character	淡
Reading #	1/4
Initial (聲)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	談 (143)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	徒甘切
Baxter	dam
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/dɑm/
Pan Wuyun	/dɑm/
Shao Rongfen	/dɑm/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/dam/
Li Rong	/dɑm/
Wang Li	/dɑm/
Bernhard Karlgren	/dʱɑm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	tán
Expected Cantonese Reflex	taam4

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*l'aːm/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	淡
Reading #	1/4
No.	14296
Phonetic component	炎
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	談
Old Chinese	/*l'aːm/

Definitions

淡

1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 痰 (tán)
2. (historical dictionaries only) appearance of water

   See also: 澹

Etymology 4

For pronunciation and definitions of 淡 – see 䭕 (“(Min) tasteless; insipid”). (This character is a variant form of 䭕).

References

• “淡”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 淡

淡

(Jōyō kanji)

1. diluted
2. pale

Readings

• Go-on: だん (dan)^{←だん (dan, historical)←だむ (damu, ancient)}
• Kan-on: たん (tan, Jōyō)^{←たん (tan, historical)←たむ (tamu, ancient)}
• Kun: あわい (awai, 淡い, Jōyō)、うすい (usui, 淡い)

Compounds

• 淡(たん)白(ぱく) (tanpaku)
• 冷(れい)淡(たん) (reitan)
• 淡(たん)々(たん) (tantan)

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 淡 (MC damX|damH). Recorded as Middle Korean 담〯 (tǎm) (Yale: tam) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

淡

淡 (eumhun 맑을 담 (malgeul dam))

1. hanja form^? of 담 (“clean; clear; pure”)

Compounds

• 냉담 (冷淡, naengdam, “cold; indifferent”)
• 농담 (濃淡, nongdam)
• 담담 (淡淡, damdam)
• 담백 (淡白, dambaek)
• 담수 (淡水, damsu, “fresh water”)
• 아담 (雅淡, adam)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

淡: Hán Nôm readings: đạm, đượm, vạm, đặm

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