覆 fù — to cover; to overflow; to reply to a letter; to overturn; to capsize
山顶上覆盖着厚厚的积雪。Shān dǐng shàng fù gài zhe hòu hòu de jī xuě.The mountaintop is covered with thick snow.
Common words: 覆盖 (fù gài)、颠覆 (diān fù)、翻天覆地 (fān tiān fù dì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to overflow"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to overflow", including 覆 (fù), 衍 (yǎn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to overflow" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 覆 (fù), 衍 (yǎn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span fù, yǎn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 覆 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 覆 fùto cover; to overflow; to reply to a letter; to overturn; to capsizeUseful words: 覆盖, 颠覆
- 衍 yǎnto spread out; to develop; to overflow; to amplifyUseful words: 敷衍, 衍生
Common words for these 2 "to overflow" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 覆 (fù) — so "to overflow" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
覆盖fù gàito cover颠覆diān fùto topple (i.e. knock over); to capsize; fig. to overturn (a regime, by plotting or subversion); to undermine翻天覆地fān tiān fù dìsky and the earth turning upside down (idiom); fig. complete confusion; everything turned on its head敷衍fū yǎnto elaborate (on a theme); to expound (the classics); perfunctory; to skimp衍生yǎn shēngto give rise to; to derive; derivative; derivation衍化yǎn huàto evolve (of ideas, designs, constructions etc); to develop and change
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 "to overflow".
衍 yǎn — to spread out; to develop; to overflow; to amplify
“繁衍”的意思是不断地生长、繁殖。“Fán yǎn” de yì si shì bú duàn de shēng zhǎng, fán zhí.The word fanyan means to grow and reproduce continuously.
Common words: 敷衍 (fū yǎn)、衍生 (yǎn shēng)、衍化 (yǎn huà)
All 2 characters
Open 覆、衍 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.