光滑 (guāng huá) — smooth; glossy; sleek | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

光滑 describes a physical surface that is smooth and glossy to the touch (jade, silk, polished metal). Use 滑 alone for 'slippery' or figurative 'cunning'; 流畅/顺畅 are for processes, speech, or writing, not surfaces.

adjective

smoothglossysleek

Examples

光滑。
Zhè kuài yù shí mō qǐ lái fēi cháng guāng huá.
This piece of jade feels very smooth.
光滑。
Tā xīn mǎi de sī chóu qún zi hěn guāng huá.
Her newly bought silk dress is very sleek.
，光滑。
Jīng guò dǎ mó, jīn shǔ biǎo miàn biàn de shí fēn guāng huá.
After polishing, the metal surface became very smooth.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

光guāngglossy

滑huáslippery

光 means glossy, and 滑 means slippery, describing a smooth surface.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

火火huǒfire
卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

骨

骨gǔ滑huá

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

滑 pairs 水 (water) with 骨, which gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 5 Texture & Quality

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