平缓 (píng huǎn) — gentle, mild, smooth (of terrain, water flow, tone, etc.)

Definition

Used for terrain, water, or tone that is flat, gradual, or calm — no steep drop, no sharp emotion. A descriptive, neutral adjective, not an evaluative one like 和气.

adjective
gentlemildsmooth (of terrain, water flow, tone, etc.)

Examples

  • 平缓。
    Zhè tiáo hé liú de shuǐ liú fēi cháng píng huǎn.
    The flow of this river is very gentle.
  • 平缓，。
    Shān lù hěn píng huǎn, róng yì zǒu.
    The mountain path is very gentle and easy to walk.
  • 平缓，。
    Tā de yǔ qì hěn píng huǎn, méi yǒu shēng qì.
    His tone was very mild, not angry.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

平píngsmooth
缓huǎngentle

平 (smooth) + 缓 (gentle): smooth and gentle.

Characters in this word

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

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

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.

Open 缓 →

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