细腻 (xì nì) — fine, delicate (of texture, such as skin or cake); meticulous, nuanced (of description or observation

Definition

细腻 covers two sides: fine/delicate texture (skin, a cake) and subtle/meticulous perception (thoughts, writing, observation). vs 精致/精美, which describe a thing's beautiful craftsmanship, 细腻 points to fine-grained detail or sensitivity.

adjective
finedelicate (of texture, such as skin or cake)meticulousnuanced (of description or observation

Examples

  • 细腻，。
    Tā de pí fū hěn xì nì, xiàng yīng ér yí yàng.
    Her skin is very delicate, like a baby's.
  • 细腻。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng duì rén wù xīn lǐ de kè huà fēi cháng xì nì.
    This film's portrayal of the characters' psychology is very nuanced.
  • 细腻，。
    Tā shì yí gè xīn si xì nì de nán hái, zǒng néng zhù yì dào bié rén de qíng xù.
    He is a boy with a meticulous mind, always able to notice others' emotions.

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.

细xìfine
腻nìsmooth

细 fine and 腻 smooth combine to mean delicate or meticulous.

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 細; 细 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
囟
囟xìn細xì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 細 pairs 糸, silk or thread, with 囟 for the sound. The simplified 细 is a later shorthand, and the old right part changed shape.

Open 细 →

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 膩; 腻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
貳
貳èr膩nì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 膩 pairs 肉, meat, with 貳 to indicate the pronunciation; the simplified 腻 is a later shorthand.

Open 腻 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Texture & Quality

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