HSK 7, a, 14 strokes, radical 女, rank #7421, Very Hard
嫩
nèn
soft
HSK 7, a, 14 strokes, radical 女, rank #7421, Very Hard
嫩
nèn
delicate
HSK 7, a, 14 strokes, radical 女, rank #7421, Very Hard
嫩
nèn
light (color)
HSK 7, a, 14 strokes, radical 女, rank #7421, Very Hard
嫩
nèn
inexperienced
HSK 7, a, 14 strokes, radical 女, rank #7421, Very Hard
嫩
nèn
unskilled
HSK 7, a, 14 strokes, radical 女, rank #7421, Very Hard
嫩
nèn
soft, delicate; young, tender
HSK 7, a, 14 strokes, radical 女, rank #7421, Very Hard
嫩
nèn
old variant of 嫩[nèn]
HSK 7, a, 14 strokes, radical 女, rank #7421, Very Hard
nèn(nen4) T4
1tender
2soft
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
嫩nèn(nen4)
The character 嫩 (nèn) primarily means tender, soft, or delicate, often used to describe textures, such as young plants or tender meats. It can also refer to someone who is inexperienced or unskilled in a particular area. In contexts involving color, it denotes a light or soft hue.
Strokes14Radical女Frequency#7421DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese cuisine, the term 嫩 is often used to describe meat that is cooked just right, such as in the famous dish '嫩滑的鸡肉' (tender chicken), highlighting the cultural appreciation for texture in food.
Memory Tip
Imagine a young, tender plant that is so soft it can be easily crushed. The character 嫩 has the '女' (nǚ) radical, which signifies femininity or delicacy, combined with '嫩' indicating softness. Picture a gentle woman nurturing delicate flowers, reinforcing the idea of tenderness.
Meanings of 嫩
nèn(nen4)
1tender
2soft
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 嫩
嫩Simplified
14Strokes
女Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#7421Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 嫩
Podcast: 嫩
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AI Study Notes for 嫩
Quick Contrast
嫩 (tender) vs 软 (soft) — choose 嫩 when describing food or young plants, while 软 is more general for any soft texture.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 嫩 with similar-sounding characters like 恩 (ēn), which means grace. 嫩 is more commonly used in informal contexts, but can appear in formal discussions about food or art as well. Common collocations include 嫩肉 (nènròu - tender meat) and 嫩叶 (nènyè - tender leaves).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK 5 word, 嫩 connects with other words describing qualities and states. Focus on its application in both physical descriptions and metaphorical uses, particularly in contexts discussing skill and experience.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 嫩 (nèn) with 硬 (yìng), which means hard. For example, saying '嫩的石头' (nèn de shítou - tender rock) is incorrect; it should be '硬的石头' (yìng de shítou - hard rock).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 嫩
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Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 敕 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嫰.
1The meaning half女 carries the sense.
2The sound half敕 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaywoman
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 嫩? 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 嫩?
Decomposition of 嫩
IDS Structure⿰女敕
嫩Full Character
=
女nü3
left
敕chi4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 嫩?
How to say tender in Chinese
“tender” in Chinese is嫩nèn
The character 嫩 (nèn) primarily means tender, soft, or delicate, often used to describe textures, such as young plants or tender meats. It can also refer to someone who is inexperienced or unskilled in a particular area. In contexts involving color, it denotes a light or soft hue.
When to use 嫩
Be careful not to confuse 嫩 with similar-sounding characters like 恩 (ēn), which means grace. 嫩 is more commonly used in informal contexts, but can appear in formal discussions about food or art as well. Common collocations include 嫩肉 (nènròu - tender meat) and 嫩叶 (nènyè - tender leaves).
嫩 or something close to it
嫩 (tender) vs 软 (soft) — choose 嫩 when describing food or young plants, while 软 is more general for any soft texture.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 嫩 (nèn) with 硬 (yìng), which means hard. For example, saying '嫩的石头' (nèn de shítou - tender rock) is incorrect; it should be '硬的石头' (yìng de shítou - hard rock).
Write 嫩
嫩
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Practice writing 嫩 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 嫩
嫩 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. It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
这在黎巴____的近代史上是个特别困难的时期。
This had been a particularly difficult chapter in Lebanon's recent history.
Example Sentences for 嫩 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这在黎巴嫩的近代史上是个特别困难的时期。
zhè zài lí bā nèn de jìn dài shǐ shàng shì gè tè bié kùn nán de shí qī。
This had been a particularly difficult chapter in Lebanon's recent history.
2
这块肉很好，又瘦又嫩。
zhè kuài ròu hěn hǎo， ， yòu shòu yòu。
It is a beautiful meat, very lean and tender.
3
这种面膜能使你的皮肤变得柔软细嫩。
zhè zhǒng miàn mó néng shǐ nǐ de pí fū biàn dé róu ruǎn xì nèn。
This mask leaves your complexion feeling soft and supple.
