沉静 (chén jìng) — quiet, calm, serene (of a person's temperament or atmosphere)

Definition

Literary word for 'quiet and calm' — describes a settled temperament or atmosphere, deeper than 安静 (mere absence of noise). Often used in writing or for people/scenes with a composed, inner stillness.

adjective
quietcalmserene (of a person's temperament or atmosphere)

Examples

  • 沉静,。
    Tā xìng gé chén jìng, bù xǐ huan rè nao de dì fāng.
    She has a calm temperament and doesn't like noisy places.
  • 沉静,。
    Yè wǎn de hú miàn fēi cháng chén jìng, méi yǒu yì sī fēng.
    The lake surface is very calm at night, without a breath of wind.
  • 沉静,。
    Zài chén jìng de huán jìng zhōng, tā gèng róng yì jí zhōng jīng lì sī kǎo.
    In a quiet environment, he can concentrate his thoughts more easily.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

“沉” calm and “静” quiet reinforce a serene stillness.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 沉 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 靜; 静 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 靜, not the simplified 静, uses 青 and 爭 for sound; an old source also treats 青 (blue) as a meaning part.

Open 静 →

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