缓缓 (huǎn huǎn) — slowly; gradually; little by little

Definition

A literary/书面 adverb meaning 'slowly, gradually' — more formal and written than 慢慢. Often reduplicates to paint motion or change at a measured pace.

adverb

slowlygraduallylittle by little

缓缓。
Fēi jī huǎn huǎn shēng shàng tiān kōng.
The plane slowly rose into the sky.
缓缓。
Hé shuǐ huǎn huǎn liú dòng zhe.
The river flows slowly.
缓缓。
Lǎo rén cóng yǐ zi shàng huǎn huǎn zhàn qǐ lái.
The old man slowly stood up from the chair.

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.

缓 means slow, and 缓缓 expresses something happening slowly or gradually.

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 緩; 缓 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

爰

爰yuán緩huǎn

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

The traditional form 緩 pairs 糸 (silk) with 爰, which gives the sound; the simplified 缓 is a later shorthand.