TongTong
Sign in

甜 (tián) — sweet

Definition

The basic taste 'sweet' (food, drinks). Among siblings, 甜蜜 is for figurative sweetness like love, 甜美 adds a pleasant quality to sound or expression, and 温柔 describes a gentle personality, not taste.

adjective
sweet
Easily confused

Examples

  • 甜。
    Zhè ge xī guā zhēn tián.
    This watermelon is really sweet.
  • 甜。
    Wǒ xǐ huan chī tián de cài.
    I like eating sweet dishes.
  • 甜。
    Zhè bēi chá bú gòu tián.
    This cup of tea isn't sweet enough.

Origin

Compound ideograph
六书liùshū
会意huìyì

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

甜 puts 舌 (tongue) next to 甘 (sweet), showing sweetness as something the tongue perceives.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3HSK 2.0 Level 31000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsFlavors & Seasonings2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 3 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.