潜
underwater; hide; secretly; potential; surname
Meanings
5 senses · 22 examplesverb
to dive underwater; submerge
Describes staying under the surface of water, often for swimming or observation.
He is good at freediving and can stay underwater for ten minutes.
The diver submerged to the seabed to salvage the sunken ship.
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This fish likes to dive into deep water to avoid natural enemies.
The kids dived to the bottom of the pool to look for their lost toy.
Sea turtles will dive into the deep sea to forage before returning to the surface to breathe.
verb
to hide; to conceal; to remain hidden
formalUsed for things or beings that stay out of sight, can describe physical positions or abstract traits.
The agent潜伏 in the enemy's ranks to gather intelligence.
The undercurrent of this stream will carry drifting leaves downstream.
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Developing good habits requires subtle, gradual influence.
He focused his mind on studying ancient literature and rarely attended social events.
This plant will lie dormant during dry seasons and wait for the rainy season.
adverb
secretly; covertly; in secret
formalUsed to describe actions done without being noticed or announced publicly.
To avoid being caught, he secretly fled to the neighboring province overnight.
They secretly returned to China to carry out underground organization activities.
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The spy infiltrated the university to steal scientific research secrets.
He secretly went to the airport to see off his ex-girlfriend but didn't dare to show his face.
The rebel forces secretly entered their garrison to prepare for a surprise attack.
noun
potential; latent ability
neutralUsed to refer to undeveloped or unused capabilities, resources, or talents.
The company is organizing activities to tap into employees' innovative potential.
This remote area has great potential for tourism development.
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Teachers should be good at discovering students' learning potential.
Through scientific training, we can unleize athletes' physical potential.
Rural revitalization requires fully tapping into local resource potential.
proper noun
surname Qian
neutralUsed as a family name, one of the less common Chinese surnames.
Teacher Qian is a key Chinese language teacher in our school.
Mr. Qian is a famous archaeologist.