轻轻 (qīng qīng) — lightly, gently

Definition

adverb
lightlygently
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Tā qīng qīng de shuō le yí jù huà.
    She said a sentence softly.
  • 轻轻，。
    Fēng qīng qīng chuī guò, hěn shū fu.
    The wind blew gently, very comfortable.
  • 。
    Tā qīng qīng de bǎ bēi zi fàng zài zhuō zi shàng.
    He gently put the cup on the table.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

轻qīnglight
轻qīnglight

轻 gives the idea of lightness, and two 轻 together make it gentle and soft.

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 →

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 →

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