滥 làn — excessive; indiscriminate
我们不能滥用水资源，要节约用水。Wǒ men bù néng làn yòng shuǐ zī yuán, yào jié yuē yòng shuǐ.We must not waste water resources; we should use water sparingly.
Common words: 泛滥 (fàn làn)、滥用 (làn yòng)、滥情 (làn qíng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "excessive"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "excessive", including 滥 (làn), 淫 (yín). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "excessive" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 滥 (làn), 淫 (yín) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span làn, yín — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 滥 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 滥 lànexcessive; indiscriminateUseful words: 泛滥, 滥用
- 淫 yínexcessive; wanton; lewd; kinky; obsceneUseful words: 自淫, 淫行
Common words for these 2 "excessive" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 滥 (làn) — so "excessive" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "excessive".
淫 yín — excessive; wanton; lewd; kinky; obscene
“淫雨”指连绵不停的大雨。“Yín yǔ” zhǐ lián mián bù tíng de dà yǔ.The word yinyu refers to incessant heavy rain.
Common words: 自淫 (zì yín)、淫行 (yín xíng)、行淫 (xíng yín)
All 2 characters
Open 滥、淫 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.