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细腻 (xì nì) — fine, delicate (of texture, such as skin or cake); meticulous, nuanced (of description or observation

Definition

细腻 covers two sides: fine/delicate texture (skin, a cake) and subtle/meticulous perception (thoughts, writing, observation). vs 精致/精美, which describe a thing's beautiful craftsmanship, 细腻 points to fine-grained detail or sensitivity.

adjective
finedelicate (of texture, such as skin or cake)meticulousnuanced (of description or observation

Examples

  • 细腻，。
    Tā de pí fū hěn xì nì, xiàng yīng ér yí yàng.
    Her skin is very delicate, like a baby's.
  • 细腻。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng duì rén wù xīn lǐ de kè huà fēi cháng xì nì.
    This film's portrayal of the characters' psychology is very nuanced.
  • 细腻，。
    Tā shì yí gè xīn si xì nì de nán hái, zǒng néng zhù yì dào bié rén de qíng xù.
    He is a boy with a meticulous mind, always able to notice others' emotions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

细xìfine
腻nìsmooth

细 fine and 腻 smooth combine to mean delicate or meticulous.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 細; 细 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
囟
囟xìn細xì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 細 pairs 糸, silk or thread, with 囟 for the sound. The simplified 细 is a later shorthand, and the old right part changed shape.

Open 细 →

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 膩; 腻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
貳
貳èr膩nì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 膩 pairs 肉, meat, with 貳 to indicate the pronunciation; the simplified 腻 is a later shorthand.

Open 腻 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Texture & Quality

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