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苗条 (miáo tiao) — slim, slender, graceful (of a woman's figure)

Definition

Used for a woman's slim, graceful figure — more about shapely slenderness than plain 瘦 ('thin', neutral and works for anyone). Closer in feel to 修长, but 苗条 is everyday while 修长 is written/literary.

adjective
slimslendergraceful (of a woman's figure)

Examples

  • 苗条。
    Tā de shēn cái hěn miáo tiao.
    Her figure is very slim.
  • 苗条。
    Tā chuān zhè jiàn qún zi xiǎn de hěn miáo tiao.
    She looks very slim in this dress.
  • 苗条。
    Tā tōng guò duàn liàn bǎo chí miáo tiao.
    She stays slim by exercising.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

It is made from 艸 (grass) and 田 (field), showing plants in a field, which matches the meaning of a young plant or seedling.

Open 苗 →

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 條; 条 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu條tiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 條 pairs 木, a small branch or stick, with 攸, which shows a person warned by a hand holding a stick, as a sound part; 条 is a later shortened shape.

Open 条 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 5Appearance

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