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和蔼可亲 (hé ǎi kě qīn) — affable and approachable (of a person's character)

Definition

A four-character idiom describing a warm, gentle personality — someone who is kind and easy to talk to. Stricter and more literary than the plain adjective 亲切, which focuses more on feeling close to someone.

idiom
affable and approachable (of a person's character)

Examples

  • 和蔼可亲。
    Wǒ men xīn lái de jīng lǐ hěn hé ǎi kě qīn.
    Our new manager is very affable and approachable.
  • 和蔼可亲。
    Tā shì yí wèi hé ǎi kě qīn de lǎo rén.
    She is an affable and approachable elderly woman.
  • ，和蔼可亲，。
    Zhè wèi jiào shòu jiǎng kè shēng dòng, tài dù hé ǎi kě qīn, tóng xué men dōu hěn xǐ huan tā.
    This professor gives lively lectures and has an affable, approachable manner — the students all like him very much.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

和蔼
和hémild蔼ǎigentle
联合Coordinate
可亲
可kěcan亲qīnapproach
偏正Modifier + head

和蔼 (gentle) and 可亲 (approachable) combine to mean affable and easy to approach.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé和hé
Same sound today

和 pairs 禾, which gives the sound, with 口 (mouth), the meaning part; the reference connects this shape to harmony.

Open 和 →

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 藹; 蔼 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
葛
葛gě藹ǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 藹, 言 relates to speech and 葛 gives the sound; the simplified 蔼 is a later shorthand.

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesPersonality & Traits

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