TSUMUGU · TOCFL B1 (est.) · 字
沉
沉 ＝ 氵 ＋ 冘
ㄔㄣˊ · chén
verb — to sink, submerge; (adj) deep, heavy
字源 FORM — what the parts do
氵義water
冘聲yín — gives the sounda figure moving under a cover
IFyín → chén — initial and final both shift
Water (氵) and 冘, which carries the sound — something carried down under the water: to sink, 沉沒. From going under: heavy (沉重), and deep, far down (深沉、沉思). The later, standard spelling of the older 沈.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
石頭落進水裡（氵），一路往下——沉到底。
A stone drops into the water (氵) and keeps going down — sinking to the bottom.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)下沉、沉沒— to sink, submerge常用
→沉重、低沉— heavy; low and deep常用
⇒深沉、沉思— deep; deep in thought
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension