添

• Pinyin: tiān
• Hanzi breakdown: 添 = 氵 (water) + 忝 (phonetic) — to add, replenish

Meaning

To add; to increase; to supplement. Putting more of something in or contributing to increase.

Common in daily life: 添饭 (add more rice), 添茶 (refill tea), 添麻烦 (cause trouble, add to someone's burden), 添乱 (create a mess). Also used for happy occasions: 添丁 (add to the family, have a baby), 锦上添花 (add flowers to brocade — make something better even better). Similar to 加 but often implies replenishing.

Examples

1. 服务员，麻烦再给我们添点茶水。 Waiter, could you please refill our tea?
2. 不好意思给您添麻烦了。 Sorry to trouble you.
3. 这次活动为我们的生活添了不少乐趣。 This activity added quite a lot of fun to our lives.

Usage Guide

Context: service, daily life, polite expressions

Tone: polite

Do Say

• 给您添麻烦了。(Sorry to trouble you. / Thank you for your help.)
• 需要我帮你添点水吗？(Would you like me to add some water for you?)

Don't Say

• 数学运算用'加'不用'添' (For math operations, use 加 not 添 — 添 is for physical or figurative additions)

Origin & History

A phonosemantic compound with 氵 (water) radical suggesting fluid addition, and 忝 as phonetic component.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal