轻 (qīng) — light (in weight, not heavy); gentle, soft (in voice, touch, or movement); easy, effortless
Definition
轻 is the basic adjective for 'light' — both weight (a light bag) and gentle/soft (a light touch, a light voice). For 'relaxed/easygoing' as a state, use 轻松; 不要紧 is the phrase for 'it doesn't matter'.
adjective
light (in weight, not heavy)gentlesoft (in voice, touch, or movement)easyeffortless
Examples
- 轻，。Zhè dài dà mǐ hěn qīng, wǒ ná dé dòng.This bag of rice is light, I can lift it.
- 轻，。Qǐng nǐ shuō huà qīng yì diǎn r, bié chǎo xǐng hái zi.Please speak a little softer, don't wake the child.
- 轻，。Tā nián jì hěn qīng, dàn shì hěn yǒu jīng yàn.He is very young, but he has a lot of experience.
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 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.
Appears in
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