TSUMUGU · TOCFL C1 (est.) · 字
潛
潛 ＝ 氵 ＋ 朁
ㄑㄧㄢˊ · qián
verb — to dive, submerge; to hide, lie hidden
字源 FORM — what the parts do
氵義water
朁聲qián — gives the sound兓 over a mouth (曰)
Water (氵) you go down into — to dive, to submerge. 朁 qián carries the sound. What sinks under the surface stays out of sight, so 潛 turns to hiding and to whatever lies latent: 潛伏、潛力、潛水。
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
人鑽進水（氵）裡，一點一點往下沉，水面合上——不見了。
A body slips into the water (氵), sinking lower, the surface closing over — out of sight.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)潛水、潛入— to dive; to slip in under常用
→潛伏、潛藏— to lie hidden, lie low
⇒潛力、潛能— latent power — what lies below, waiting
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension