沁 (qìn) is a Chinese character meaning “(of liquid, scent or coolness) to seep in”. It is written from 氵 (water (left-side form)) and 心 (heart; mind), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to seep in”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
氵 + 心
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：7 画 = 氵 3 画（笔画 1–3）+ 心 4 画（笔画 4–7）；部首取康熙 85 水部；声符判断只依据实测现代读音（心 xīn / 沁 qìn 韵母同为 in，声母 x→q，声调 1→4）
Memory aid
Water (氵) seeping into a heart (心) — that is what 沁 does: a scent or a coolness soaks quietly in. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 沁人心脾qìn rén xīn pírefreshing; (of a scent, breeze or music) soaking straight into you沁 = qìn
Go deeper
All readings
to seep in
(of liquid, scent or coolness) to seep in; to soak into; to permeate
（水、香气、凉意）渗入、透进去。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 沁人心脾qìn rén xīn pírefreshing; (of a scent, breeze or music) soaking straight into you沁 = qìn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 沁 mean?
沁 (qìn) means (of liquid, scent or coolness) to seep in; to soak into; to permeate.
How do you pronounce 沁?
It is pronounced qìn.
What parts is 沁 made of?
氵 (water (left-side form)) and 心 (heart; mind), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：7 画 = 氵 3 画（笔画 1–3）+ 心 4 画（笔画 4–7）；部首取康熙 85 水部；声符判断只依据实测现代读音（心 xīn / 沁 qìn 韵母同为 in，声母 x→q，声调 1→4）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 沁 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 沁?
水. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 沁?
Common ones are 沁人心脾. The reading of 沁 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.