淹

yān

HSK 6

淹 — yān

1. to flood; to submerge; to drown (be covered by water)

   村子被暴雨淹了。 cūnzi bèi bàoyǔ yān le — The village was flooded by the heavy rain.

2. to submerge something in a liquid (immerse)

   把衣服淹在水里浸一会儿。 bǎ yīfú yān zài shuǐlǐ jìn yīhuìer — Soak the clothes by submerging them in water for a while.

3. to drown (a person or animal — die from suffocation in liquid)

   他差点被河水淹死。 tā chàdiǎn bèi héshuǐ yānsǐ — He was nearly drowned by the river.

4. to irritate the skin (from contact with liquids, e.g., chemicals)

   接触这种溶剂会把皮肤淹得发红发痒。 jiēchù zhèzhǒng róngjì huì bǎ pífū yān dé fāhóng fāyǎng — Contact with this solvent will make the skin irritated, red and itchy.

5. to delay; to hold up (cause a delay)

   路上出事故把交通淹住了，大家都晚了。 lùshàng chū shìgù bǎ jiāotōng yān zhù le dàjiā dōu wǎn le — An accident on the road held up traffic, so everyone was late.