瘟

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epidemic; pestilence; plague; (fig.) stupid; dull; (of a performance) lackluster

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Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

疒 meaning “sickness” + 昷 sound

Components 疒昷

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

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
五瘟神	wǔ wēn shén	five chief demons of folklore personifying pestilence; cf four horsemen of the apocalypse
非洲猪瘟	Fēi zhōu zhū wēn	African swine fever
犬瘟热	quǎn wēn rè	canine distemper (mammalian disease caused by Canine morbillivirus)
瘟神	wēn shén	demon personifying pestilence
五瘟	wǔ wēn	five chief demons of folklore personifying pestilence
猫瘟	māo wēn	feline panleukopenia; feline distemper
猪瘟	zhū wēn	swine fever
驱瘟	qū wēn	to expel pestilences
瘟疫	wēn yì	plague; pestilence
暑瘟	shǔ wēn	tropical disease; summertime disease
遭瘟	zāo wēn	to suffer from a plague; to endure a misfortune; a plague on him!

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

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
昷 sound part	—	warm, a warm meal
温	wēn	warm, lukewarm
腽	wà	fat, blubber
愠	yùn	angry, indignant; resentful, sulking
缊	yūn	tangled hemp, raveled silk; vague, confused
辒	wēn	hearse
媪	ǎo	old woman; lower-class woman
榅	wēn	pillar; conifer; Cryptomeria
氲	yūn	prosperity; the breath of life; the spirit of harmony
豱	wēn	short-snouted pig
韫	yùn	to contain; to hide, to conceal