漣

Formed as a phono-semantic compound consisting of:

氵 (삼수변 / water radical) — indicating relation to water; and

連 (to connect, to link) — providing the sound (lián / 련).

Together they signify “linked movements of water”, or waves that spread continuously and harmoniously across a surface.

The sense of connection and continuity (連) parallels the way ripples connect and expand after disturbance, making this one of the more pictorially elegant water radicals.

연파 (漣波) — rippling waves

연이 (漣漪) — concentric ripples

Appears frequently in poetic or literary language, describing serene natural scenes or subtle emotional states.

Example:

호수에 비친 달빛이 잔물결(漣漪)을 이루며 반짝였다.

The moonlight shimmered upon the lake, forming gentle ripples.

漣 is a beloved image in East Asian aesthetics.

In Chinese and Japanese poetry, it symbolizes emotional resonance that spreads outward softly, like ripples after a single drop falls.

The expression 漣漪 thus evokes delicate beauty, calm reflection, or the aftermath of feeling.

In calligraphy and art, the character’s balanced structure — fluid left side (氵) and orderly right (連) — visually mirrors the contrast of motion and stillness in rippling water.