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Kotomora

潜

submerge, conceal, hide, lower (voice), hush

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • セン

Kun'yomi

  • ひそ.む
  • もぐ.る
  • かく.れる
  • くぐ.る
  • ひそ.める

Meaning

潜 centers on going beneath a surface or out of sight: submerging in water, hiding oneself, concealing something, or lowering one's voice to a hush.

Most common words using 潜

20 of 95
  • 潜在せんざい
    N1

    potentiality; dormancy; latency

  • 潜水せんすい
    N1

    diving; submerging; going underwater

  • 潜入せんにゅう
    N1

    infiltration; sneaking in; going undercover

  • 潜むひそむ
    N1

    to lurk; to be hidden; to be concealed; to lie dormant; to be latent

  • 潜るくぐる
    N1

    to go under; to pass under; to go through; to pass through

  • 潜伏せんぷく

    concealment; hiding; ambush

  • 潜りもぐり

    diving; diver

  • 潜めるひそめる

    to hide; to conceal

  • 潜りくぐり

    side door; side gate; wicket gate

  • 潜航せんこう

    submarine voyage; underwater navigation

  • 原潜げんせん

    nuclear submarine

  • 潜るもぐる
    N2

    to dive (into or under water)

  • 潜望鏡せんぼうきょう

    periscope

  • 潜り込むもぐりこむ

    to slip into; to crawl into (under); to conceal oneself (under)

  • 潜行せんこう

    underwater navigation

  • 潜舵せんだ

    hydroplane (submarines); diving plane; diving rudder

  • 潜水艦せんすいかん
    N1

    submarine

  • 潜在意識せんざいいしき

    subconsciousness; the subconscious

  • おやしお型潜水艦おやしおがたせんすいかん

    Oyashio class submarine

  • なりを潜めるなりをひそめる

    to quieten down; to fall silent

Explore all words using 潜 →

Study

Etymology

潜 combines 氵 (water) with 替, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of replacing or changing, suggesting going under water or into hiding.

Meaning mnemonic

Water 氵 plus 替 (replace/change): imagine replacing your visible self with a hidden version by slipping underwater, concealing your presence.

Reading mnemonic

For セン, picture a submarine silently submerging: the 'sen' in submarine cues セン, and the submarine hides beneath the waves.