稀松 (xī sōng) — (stative verb) (of attitude or work) careless, sloppy, unconcerned; (stative verb) (of matters or importance) trivial, insignificant, unimportant; (stative verb) (of texture) loose, porous

Definition

Used mostly in the set phrase 稀松平常 ('plain, nothing special') to mean 'trivial, run-of-the-mill'. Can also describe a loose/porous texture (as in fabric). Avoid it for casual careless attitudes — say 随便 or 马虎 instead.

adjective
(stative verb) (of attitude or work) carelesssloppyunconcerned(stative verb) (of matters or importance) trivialinsignificantunimportant(stative verb) (of texture) looseporous

Examples

  • 稀松，。
    Tā duì zhè jiàn shì de tài dù fēi cháng xī sōng, gēn běn bú zài hu jié guǒ.
    His attitude toward this matter is very careless; he simply doesn't care about the outcome.
  • 稀松，。
    Zhè xiē dōu shì xī sōng de xiǎo wèn tí, bú yòng tài dān xīn.
    These are all trivial little problems, there's no need to worry too much.
  • 稀松，。
    Zhè zhǒng miàn liào hěn xī sōng, tòu qì xìng hěn hǎo.
    This fabric is very loose and porous, with great breathability.

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.

稀xīsparse
松sōngloose

The senses of 稀 and 松, sparse and loose, combine to mean porous or trivial.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
希
希xī稀
Same sound today

稀 has 禾 (grain) beside 希, and 希 gives the character its sound.

Open 稀 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
公
公gōng松sōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

松 uses 木 (wood) to show it is a tree, and 公 to give the sound.

Open 松 →

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