<p>On <a href="http://www.bianjiao.net/news/html/?809.html">this page</a> there is long explanation, but the summary that 濱 is more used when 濱 has the role of a noun (examples: 水~︱江~︱河~︱湖~︱海~), and 瀕 is more used when 瀕 has the role of a verb (examples: ~江︱~湖︱~海︱~绝︱~临︱~死︱~危︱~于, 东~大海).</p>

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2012-10-14T06:35:23.660Z
Aha, that makes more sense. Sometimes using Google can be misleading. :) That explanation partly overlaps with what I wrote, since meaning (2) above should be mostly verbs.
Olle Linge
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2012-10-14T06:19:40.063Z
2012-10-14T06:19:40.063Z
BertR
<p>Another pair of homonyms with similar/identical meaning. A dictionary check gives me this:</p>

<p>濱
(1) 水邊。如：「河濱」、「海濱」、「她喜歡在湖濱散步。」
(2) 靠近。如：「濱臨」、「濱海公路」。</p>

<p>瀕
(1) 水邊。如：「河瀕」、「江瀕」。
(2) 臨近、迫近。如：「瀕臨」、「瀕危」。</p>

<p>This isn't very helpful since the definitions of the two characters are almost identical (including some of the examples). However, I do think that 瀕 is more often used in sense (2): 瀕臨，瀕危，瀕於 and so on, and that 濱 is more used in sense (1): 濱海，濱河，濱江. Some quick google checks seem confirms this.</p>

<p>Hypothesis: From a practical, modern point of view, they mean the same thing, but there is a preference for 濱 in the sense of being close to water and 瀕 in the more general sense of being close to something (even something more abstract).</p>

<p>Is this correct? Can these characters be used interchangeably, even if there seems to be a preference for one over the other in certain situations?</p>

<characters>
What is the difference between 濱 and 瀕?
# What is the difference between 濱 and 瀕?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-10-14)

Another pair of homonyms with similar/identical meaning. A dictionary check gives me this:

濱
(1) 水邊。如：「河濱」、「海濱」、「她喜歡在湖濱散步。」
(2) 靠近。如：「濱臨」、「濱海公路」。

瀕
(1) 水邊。如：「河瀕」、「江瀕」。
(2) 臨近、迫近。如：「瀕臨」、「瀕危」。

This isn't very helpful since the definitions of the two characters are almost identical (including some of the examples). However, I do think that 瀕 is more often used in sense (2): 瀕臨，瀕危，瀕於 and so on, and that 濱 is more used in sense (1): 濱海，濱河，濱江. Some quick google checks seem confirms this.

Hypothesis: From a practical, modern point of view, they mean the same thing, but there is a preference for 濱 in the sense of being close to water and 瀕 in the more general sense of being close to something (even something more abstract).

Is this correct? Can these characters be used interchangeably, even if there seems to be a preference for one over the other in certain situations?

**Tags:** characters


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-10-14. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

On [this page](http://www.bianjiao.net/news/html/?809.html) there is long explanation, but the summary that 濱 is more used when 濱 has the role of a noun (examples: 水~︱江~︱河~︱湖~︱海~), and 瀕 is more used when 瀕 has the role of a verb (examples: ~江︱~湖︱~海︱~绝︱~临︱~死︱~危︱~于, 东~大海).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Aha, that makes more sense. Sometimes using Google can be misleading. :) That explanation partly overlaps with what I wrote, since meaning (2) above should be mostly verbs.  

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