(xiàn rù) - to fall into, to sink into, to get bogged down in in Mandarin
xiànrùTraditional: 陷入
Translation
to fall into, to sink into, to get bogged down in
Word origin
A compound of 陷 (xiàn, to sink, to fall into a pit) and 入 (rù, to enter), the sinking-in made explicit.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 陷 (xiàn, to sink into a pit) + 入 (rù, to enter)
Stroke order
陷
入
Examples
沉默。
The room fell into total silence.
。
The company has fallen into serious difficulty.
深深。
He sank into deep memories.
僵。
The talks have reached deadlock once again.
轮泥，。
The wheels sank into the mud and would not come out at all.
陷入 (xiànrù) is sinking into something you did not choose and cannot easily climb out of. The literal use survives, as in wheels going into mud, but nine times in ten the object is abstract: 陷入困难, 陷入沉默, 陷入危机, 陷入回忆, 陷入僵局.
The tone of the word is what learners miss. 陷入 is not neutral entry, it is being caught. Even 陷入回忆, falling into memories, carries the sense of being pulled under rather than choosing to reminisce. That is why it almost never takes a happy object; 陷入快乐 sounds wrong to a native ear.
The trap is confusing it with 进入 (jìnrù), which is the neutral verb for entering: 进入房间, 进入市场, 进入决赛. Swap them and the meaning flips from a normal step forward to a disaster. If you can leave whenever you like, the verb is 进入. If you are stuck, it is 陷入.
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陷入: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "陷入" (to fall into, to sink into, to get bogged down in): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 55.