款款 (kuǎn kuǎn) — slowly, unhurriedly, with measured grace; since…

Definition

A literary adverb (always reduplicated) meaning 'slowly and gracefully' or 'with deep, sincere feeling' — it colors a verb with a gentle, poetic mood. Almost always appears in the 款款 + verb pattern, common in prose and song lyrics.

bound form

slowlyunhurriedlywith measured gracesincerelywith deep feeling

Examples

款款，。
Tā kuǎn kuǎn dì zǒu dào wǔ tái zhōng yāng, xiàng guān zhòng jū gōng.
She walked slowly and gracefully to the center of the stage and bowed to the audience.
款款，。
Tā kuǎn kuǎn shēn qíng dì wàng zhe yuǎn fāng, fǎng fú zài huí yì shén me.
He gazed into the distance with deep feeling, as if recalling something.
，款款。
Chūn fēng chuī guò, liǔ zhī kuǎn kuǎn yáo bǎi.
The spring breeze blew, and the willow branches swayed gently and leisurely.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

款kuǎnslow/sincere

The repeated 款 adds a sense of unhurried movement or deep feeling.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

欠欠qiànlacking, desire

Sound part声符shēngfú

柰

柰nài款kuǎn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

款 pairs 柰, a sound hint, with 欠, a part about lacking or desire.

Open 款 →