Meanings of 腼
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Podcast: 腼
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AI Study Notes for 腼
腼 (miǎn) vs 羞 (xiū) — use 腼 for a more gentle, reserved modesty, while 羞 emphasizes a stronger sense of shame or embarrassment.
Imagine a shy person with a 'mien' (like 'miǎn') who feels bashful, their cheeks flushed. The character 腼 contains the radical '肉' (meaning meat) which can symbolize vulnerability, suggesting that being modest often feels like exposing one's soft side.
Common mistakes include confusing 腼 with similar-sounding characters like 免 (miǎn), which means 'to exempt.' 腼 is typically used in more formal or literary contexts, so be cautious with its usage in casual conversations. Remember to use it with appropriate adjectives to describe someone's demeanor.
While 腼 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects to HSK Level 5 words like 谦虚 (qiān xū, modest) and 害羞 (hài xiū, shy). Focus on the emotional connotations of the word as they relate to social interactions.
In Chinese culture, modesty is highly valued, and expressing one's achievements openly is often frowned upon. The character 腼 embodies this cultural trait, as it highlights the importance of humility in social contexts.
Learners often confuse 腼 with 免 (miǎn), leading to incorrect usage in sentences. For example, saying '我腼工作' (I am exempt from work) should be corrected to '我免工作' (I am exempt from work).
Pronunciation of 腼
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Etymology of 腼
Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 面 represents the sound. Simplified form of 靦.
flesh
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 腼?
Decomposition of 腼
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Write 腼
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Practice writing 腼 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Grammar Patterns of 腼
腼 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Complete the Sentence
很多人认为是他的____腆和缺乏安全感拖了他的后腿。
Many believe it was his shyness and insecurity which let him down.
Example Sentences for 腼 (4)
Cultural Notes for 腼
In Chinese culture, modesty is highly valued, and expressing one's achievements openly is often frowned upon. The character 腼 embodies this cultural trait, as it highlights the importance of humility in social contexts.
Word Family of 腼
Compound Meaning
What does 腼腆 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 腼
Synonyms include 害羞 (hài xiū, shy) and 谦虚 (qiān xū, modest).
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