宽 (kuān) — wide; broad; loose; relaxed; lenient; (noun) width; (verb) to relax; to ease
Definition
Core word meaning 'wide, broad' (a road, room) and 'lenient, relaxed' (rules, attitude). Unlike 广, which describes abstract scope or range, 宽 is used for physical width and for easing pressure on people.
adjective
widebroadlooserelaxedlenient
noun
width
verb
to relaxto ease
Examples
- 宽。Zhè ge fáng jiān hěn kuān.This room is very spacious.
- 宽。Zhè ge mén de kuān shì liǎng mǐ.The width of this door is two meters.
- 宽，。Nǐ kuān yí xià xīn, bié tài jǐn zhāng.Relax a bit, don't be too nervous.
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 寬; 宽 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánhouse
Sound part声符shēngfú
萈
萈huán寬kuān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 寬 pairs 宀, a house, with 萈, a goat used for sound, to show a spacious house; the simplified 宽 is a later abbreviation.
Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.