沈 means “sink”

しずむ · shizumu

Also: be submerged, subside, be depressed

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

しずむ, しずめる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

チン, ジン

JLPT N2 · Taught in secondary school · 7 strokes

The story

Water (氵) beside the right half of 枕, pillow: picture your head sinking into the pillow, then deeper, into water. 沈む is to sink, the sun 沈む at dusk, and 沈黙, silence, is the title of Endo Shusaku's famous novel.

Used in 沈む (shizumu, to sink), 沈黙 (chinmoku, silence), and 沈没 (chinbotsu, sinking of a ship)

More from Handle With Care

• 拾 pick up
• 磨 polish
• 挟 put between
• 査 examine
• 含 contain
• 接 contact
• 捜 search for
• 採 pick
• 触 touch
• 包 wrap
• 照 shine on
• 詰 pack

Learn 沈 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.