泉

quán

spring, fountain; wealth, money

Meaning

Primary: A natural spring or fountain; water emerging naturally from the earth.
Metaphorical: The origin or generative point of a flow (e.g., the source of an idea, lineage, or power).
Economic: Wealth or money; specifically liquid assets or a steady stream of resources.
Connotative: Purity and clarity, particularly in contexts regarding morality or the mind.

Grammar and usage

Function: Predominantly a noun.
Attributive Use: Can function as an adjective describing something as "spring-like" (e.g., pure, clear, or originating).
Verbal Caution: Rarely functions as a verb in standard classical usage. If the glyph appears in a verbal position, consider whether a verb such as 湧 ("to well up") or 出 ("to emerge") has been omitted.

Distinctions

vs. 井 (Well): Natural/spontaneous emergence (泉) vs. man-made/dug access (井).
vs. 川 (River) / 溪 (Stream): The point of origin (泉) vs. the resulting path or flow (川/溪).
vs. 淵 (Abyss/Deep Pool): The beginning of a journey (泉) vs. a place of collection or stagnation (淵).

History and forms

Semantic Variant: U+6D24. While typically denoting a waterfall or torrential flow, its use as a variant for 泉 suggests an emphasis on the intensity or the singular point of discharge (the "outpouring") rather than the direction of the water.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.