细 (xì) — thin, slender; fine (of texture or particles); (of a sound) quiet, soft, slight
Definition
细 is a broad 'thin/fine' adjective — use it for slender objects, finely ground particles, or a soft voice. For people, prefer 瘦 (skinny) or 苗条 (slender, graceful), never 细.
adjective
thinslenderfine (of texture or particles)(of a sound) quietsoftslight
Examples
- 细。Zhè tiáo xiàn hěn xì.This thread is very thin.
- 细。Yán mó dé hěn xì.The salt is ground very fine.
- 细。Tā de shēng yīn hěn xì.Her voice is quiet and soft.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
Appears in
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