Definition
弱 (ruò) is a broad adjective meaning 'weak, inferior' — it can describe physical weakness, poor ability, or a quantity slightly less than a number. Among the siblings, 软弱 (ruǎn ruò) specifically means weak in character or spirit, while 微弱 (wēi ruò) describes faint, barely perceptible things like sound or light. 不如 (bù rú) is a verb meaning 'not as good as', used in comparisons, not as an adjective.
adjective
weakfeeble (physically)inferiornot as good as (in ability or quality)(used after a number) slightly less than
Easily confused
- 若ruòsound-alike(conjunction) if, supposing that
Examples
- ,弱。Tā qùnián shēng le yì chǎng dà bìng, xiànzài shēntǐ hái hěn ruò.He had a serious illness last year, and his body is still very weak now.
- 弱。Tā de shùxué chéngjì bǐ bān shàng hěnduō tóngxué ruò.His math grades are inferior to many classmates in the class.
- 弱。Zhège bān dàyuē yǒu sānshí rén ruò.This class has slightly fewer than thirty people.
Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.