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浅显 (qiǎn xiǎn) — easy to understand, accessible (of spoken or written material)

Definition

Describes content (text, language, explanations) that is simple and easy to grasp. More written and neutral than 通俗, which emphasizes being popular and appealing to ordinary people.

adjective
easy to understandaccessible (of spoken or written material)

Examples

  • 浅显，。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng de qíng jié hěn qiǎn xiǎn, lián hái zi dōu néng kàn dǒng.
    The plot of this movie is easy to understand, even children can understand it.
  • 浅显。
    Zuò zhě yòng qiǎn xiǎn de wén zì jiǎng shù le fù zá de lì shǐ shì jiàn.
    The author used easy-to-understand language to narrate complex historical events.
  • 浅显，。
    Zhè běn jiào cái fēi cháng qiǎn xiǎn, shì hé chū xué zhě xué xí.
    This textbook is very easy to understand, suitable for beginners.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

浅qiǎnsimple
显xiǎnclear

浅 (simple) and 显 (clear) combine to mean easy to understand.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 淺; 浅 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān淺qiǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 淺 pairs 氵 (water) with 戔 to give the sound; 浅 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 浅 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 顯; 显 is its simplified writing.

  • 日日rìsun
  • 絲絲sīsilk
  • 頁頁yèperson's head

For 显, the traditional form 顯 is made of 日 (sun), 絲 (silk), and 頁 (person's head).

Open 显 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.