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轻柔 (qīng róu) — soft (of texture, material); gentle (of manner, voice, action)

Definition

Soft and gentle — used for textures (fabric, breeze) and for voices or movements that are light and tender.

adjective
soft (of texture, material)gentle (of manner, voice, action)

Examples

  • 轻柔。
    Zhè kuài sī chóu de shǒu gǎn fēi cháng qīng róu.
    The feel of this silk is very soft and gentle.
  • 轻柔。
    Tā yòng qīng róu de shēng yīn duì hái zi shuō huà.
    She speaks to the child in a gentle voice.
  • 轻柔。
    Tā de qīng róu dòng zuò ràng xiǎo māo ān jìng xià lái le.
    Her gentle touch calmed the kitten down.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

轻qīnglight
柔róusoft

轻 and 柔 both describe lightness and softness, so together they mean gentle.

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 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 柔 →
Appears in
Texture & Quality

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