濡

The core sense is the permeation of a material by liquid, describing both the process of becoming wet and the resulting state of saturation. This ranges from light moistening (sprinkling) to total immersion, specifically implying liquid soaking into or through a surface. In literary contexts, it is frequently used in reference to tears; when paired with clothing or sleeves (濡袖), it serves as shorthand for grief or mourning.

The glyph functions as a transitive verb (to wet, sprinkle, or soak), an intransitive/stative verb (to become wet, to be drenched), or an adjective (moist, damp, saturated).

Compared to other terms for "wet": 濕 (shī) typically describes a general state, environment, or humidity; 潤 (rùn) often carries positive connotations of nourishment, luster, or beneficial rain; and 浸 (jìn) implies steeping or soaking over a duration of time.

The reading is stable (Middle Chinese njio).