添

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to add; to increase; to replenish

Sound it out + + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

氵 meaning “water” + 忝 sound ( tiǎn )

Components 氵忝

augment · Heisig RSH #1820

水 water + 天 heavens + valentine

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
二一添作五	èr yī tiān zuò wǔ	lit. one half equals zero point five (division rule in abacus reckoning); to share fairly …
添加物	tiān jiā wù	additive
添加剂	tiān jiā jì	additive; food additive
锦上添花	jǐn shàng tiān huā	(lit.) to add flowers to brocade (idiom); (fig.) to make sth good even better; to add an e…
画蛇添足	huà shé tiān zú	lit. draw legs on a snake (idiom); fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous; to o…
如虎添翼	rú hǔ tiān yì	lit. like a tiger that has grown wings; with redoubled power (idiom)
加油添醋	jiā yóu tiān cù	to add interest (to a story); to sex up
添油加醋	tiān yóu jiā cù	(lit.) to add oil and vinegar (idiom); (fig.) to embellish; to exaggerate (a story, a narr…
添砖加瓦	tiān zhuān jiā wǎ	lit. contribute bricks and tiles for a building (idiom); fig. to do one's bit to help
平添	píng tiān	to add or gain sth without additional effort; to add sth without good cause
加添	jiā tiān	to add; to augment; to increase
添加	tiān jiā	to add; to increase
添丁	tiān dīng	to add a son to the family
添乱	tiān luàn	(coll.) to cause trouble for sb; to inconvenience
添补	tiān bu	to fill (up); to replenish
添麻烦	tiān má fan	to cause trouble for sb; to inconvenience
添福添寿	tiān fú tiān shòu	to increase luck and longevity
添办	tiān bàn	to acquire
添置	tiān zhì	to buy; to acquire; to add to one's possessions
增添	zēng tiān	to add; to increase

Characters sharing the sound component 忝 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
忝 sound part	tiǎn	shame, disgrace; self-depreciation
舔	tiǎn	to lick, to taste
掭	tiàn	to manipulate