潦 lǎo to flood
to flood; dejected; careless
怎么记住“潦”: 氵 water + 尞 bonfire = to flood. The water of the river rises all night, and the campers watch it reach their bonfire and start to flood the whole meadow.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
潦 = 氵 water + 尞 bonfire
- 氵 water meaning
- 尞 bonfire sound
The water of the river rises all night, and the campers watch it reach their bonfire and start to flood the whole meadow.
How it came to be
Water gives the meaning and the bonfire the sound; the word first described heavy rainwater.
用法
- In 潦草 (liáocǎo) it means sloppy/careless: 字迹潦草 (zìjì liáocǎo) illegible scrawl, or work done carelessly.
- In 潦倒 (liáodǎo, read lǎo → but standardly liáo here) it means down-and-out/frustrated in life: 穷困潦倒 destitute and dejected.