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靦 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
靦miǎnmodest, bashfulzg, 16 strokes, radical 面
miǎn(mian3) T3
  1. 1modest, bashful
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

靦miǎn(mian3)

The character 靦 (miǎn) conveys a sense of modesty and bashfulness. It is often used to describe someone who feels shy or embarrassed, particularly in social situations. This word can also suggest a sense of humility or timidity in expressing one's opinions or feelings.

Strokes16Radical面
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, modesty is highly valued, and being overly assertive can be frowned upon. The concept of 靦 reflects the cultural importance placed on humility and the social norms surrounding behavior in public.

Memory Tip

Imagine a shy person (the character's meaning) hiding behind a curtain (the radical 革, meaning 'to change' or 'leather') while trying to muster the courage to speak up. The sound 'miǎn' can remind you of 'meant', as in 'I meant to say something, but I'm too bashful to do it.'

Meanings of 靦

miǎn(mian3)
1modest, bashful
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 靦

靦Simplified
16Strokes
面Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 靦

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Podcast: 靦

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AI Study Notes for 靦

Quick Contrast

羞 (xiū) — use 靦 (miǎn) when emphasizing a mild or bashful embarrassment, while 羞 (xiū) suggests a stronger sense of shame or guilt.

Usage Notes

靦 is typically used in more formal or literary contexts rather than everyday conversation. Common collocations include 靦腆 (miǎntiǎn), meaning 'bashful' or 'shy,' and it is important to use the correct tone to avoid confusion with other words. The third tone (miǎn) is often mispronounced as the second tone, which changes the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

靦 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, but it relates to other HSK words that express emotions or feelings, such as 羞愧 (xiūkuì, 'shame') and 害羞 (hàixiū, 'to be shy'). Students should focus on understanding its nuances and how it complements these feelings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 靦 with similar-sounding words due to tone errors, such as pronouncing it as 'mián' (second tone), which is incorrect. Another common mistake is using it in casual conversations where more straightforward terms like '害羞' would be more appropriate.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 靦

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Etymology of 靦

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 面 represents the sound. Simplified form of 靦.

Memory Hint

flesh

Semantic (meaning)面
+
Phonetic (sound)見
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 靦

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 面 represents the sound. Simplified form of 靦.

  1. 1The meaning half面 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half見 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayflesh
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 靦? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 靦?

Decomposition of 靦

IDS Structure⿰面見
靦Full Character
=
面mian4
left
見jian4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 靦?

How to say modest, bashful in Chinese

“modest, bashful” in Chinese is靦miǎn

The character 靦 (miǎn) conveys a sense of modesty and bashfulness. It is often used to describe someone who feels shy or embarrassed, particularly in social situations. This word can also suggest a sense of humility or timidity in expressing one's opinions or feelings.

When to use 靦

靦 is typically used in more formal or literary contexts rather than everyday conversation. Common collocations include 靦腆 (miǎntiǎn), meaning 'bashful' or 'shy,' and it is important to use the correct tone to avoid confusion with other words. The third tone (miǎn) is often mispronounced as the second tone, which changes the meaning.

靦 or something close to it

羞 (xiū) — use 靦 (miǎn) when emphasizing a mild or bashful embarrassment, while 羞 (xiū) suggests a stronger sense of shame or guilt.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 靦 with similar-sounding words due to tone errors, such as pronouncing it as 'mián' (second tone), which is incorrect. Another common mistake is using it in casual conversations where more straightforward terms like '害羞' would be more appropriate.

Write 靦

靦

Practice writing 靦 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 靦

Words Containing This Character2
腼腆shy靦腆
腼miǎnbashful靦
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 腼腆 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 靦

靦 (miǎn) emphasizes a deeper sense of modesty and bashfulness, while 害羞 (hàixiū) simply means 'shy'.

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