xiàn

submerge

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
阝 meaning component

  Meaning component

  

hill, place

is a component form of .

臽 sound,iconic component

  Sound Iconic component

xiàn

  

a pit

Depicts a person () falling into a pit or a trap ().

Evolution

陷 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
陷 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
陷 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
陷 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

xiàn

submerge, sink, plunge; trap; pitfall; to get stuck; to sink; to cave in; to frame (false charge); to capture (a city in battle); to fall (to the enemy); defect

Most common words with 陷
Freq.
Word
Meaning

陷入

to sink into

缺陷

defect

陷阱

pitfall

trap

陷害

to entrap