緩 meaning and stroke order
Slow, gradual; to postpone, to delay
How to write 緩, stroke by stroke
15 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 緩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- slow
- unhurried
- sluggish
- gradual
- not tense
- relaxed
How 緩 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
糹 gives the meaning and 爰 hints at the sound.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 緩
緩 is a pictophonetic character. The thread radical 糹 on the left gives the meaning, and 爰 (yuán) on the right hints at the sound. Picture a thread being let out slowly and loosely, never pulled tight, and you get slow and relaxed.
緩 rarely appears alone in modern speech. It usually shows up in words like 缓慢 (huǎnmàn, slow), 缓解 (huǎnjiě, to relieve) and 缓和 (huǎnhé, to ease tension). Example: 这种药可以缓解头痛。(Zhè zhǒng yào kěyǐ huǎnjiě tóutòng.) This medicine can relieve headaches.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 緩 with 暖 (nuǎn, warm), because both use 爰 on the right. Check the left side: thread 糹 means slow, and sun 日 means warm.
Common words with 緩
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 緩解 | huǎnjiě | to bring relief; to alleviate (a crisis) | HSK 4 |
| 緩慢 | huǎnmàn | slow; unhurried; sluggish | HSK 7-9 |
| 緩緩 | huǎnhuǎn | slowly; unhurriedly | HSK 7-9 |
| 緩和 | huǎnhé | to ease (tension); to alleviate | HSK 7-9 |
| 延緩 | yánhuǎn | to defer; to postpone | HSK 7-9 |
| 緩刑 | huǎnxíng | suspended sentence; probation | |
| 減緩 | jiǎnhuǎn | to slow down; to retard | |
| 舒緩 | shūhuǎn | to ease (tension); to relax | |
| 緩衝 | huǎnchōng | buffer; to cushion | |
| 暫緩 | zànhuǎn | to postpone |
Questions about 緩
How many strokes are in 緩?
緩 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 緩 mean?
緩 (huǎn) means slow, gradual; to postpone, to delay. A common word with it is 缓解 (huǎnjiě), meaning "to bring relief; to alleviate (a crisis)".
How do you pronounce 緩?
緩 is pronounced huǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 緩?
The radical of 緩 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 緩 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 緩?
緩 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 缓, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 缓慢 and 慢?
慢 (màn) is the everyday word for slow and works in any casual sentence. 缓慢 (huǎnmàn) is more formal and written. It often describes processes such as growth or progress.
Does 缓 have the meaning of delay as well as slow?
Yes. In words like 延缓 (yánhuǎn, to postpone) and 缓刑 (huǎnxíng, suspended sentence), 缓 means to put something off. You may also hear 缓一缓 (huǎn yi huǎn), which means to wait a bit before acting.