淤泥 yūní silt
silt; sludge; ooze
How to remember 淤泥: 淤 mud + 泥 mud = silt.
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How it is used
- Means silt/sludge/ooze - 河底的淤泥 (hé dǐ de yūní) the silt at the river bottom.
- Refers to soft, settled mud that accumulates in rivers, ponds, and drains.
- Famous in 出淤泥而不染 (chū yūní ér bù rǎn) 'rising from the mud yet unstained' - a lotus metaphor for staying pure amid corruption.