Meaning of 形容
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to describe
- (literary) countenance; appearance
How to use 形容
形容 is a verb meaning to describe, usually how something looks, feels, or seems. It often appears with 用 or 来, as in 用一个词来形容. Example: 我不知道怎么形容那种感觉。(Wǒ bù zhīdào zěnme xíngróng nà zhǒng gǎnjué.) I don't know how to describe that feeling.
形 (xíng) means shape or form, as in 形状 (xíngzhuàng), and 容 (róng) means appearance or face, as in 容貌. To 形容 something is to put its shape and appearance into words.
Common mistake: Learners often use 形容 for describing events or processes in detail, where 描述 (miáoshù) or 描写 (miáoxiě) fits better. 形容 usually sums up a quality with a word or comparison, for example 形容她很漂亮.
形容 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
形 xíng · to appear · 7 strokes
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容 róng · appearance · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 形容.
| 容易 | róngyì | easy; straightforward; likely; liable to; apt to |
| 内容 | nèiróng | content; substance; details |
| 形成 | xíngchéng | to form; to take shape |
| 形式 | xíngshì | outer appearance; form |
| 形象 | xíngxiàng | image; form |
| 形状 | xíngzhuàng | form; shape |
| 形势 | xíngshì | circumstances; situation |
| 情形 | qíngxing | circumstances; situation; state of affairs |
| 地形 | dìxíng | topography; terrain |
| 形态 | xíngtài | shape; form |
| 笑容 | xiàoróng | smile; smiling expression |
| 好不容易 | hǎobùróngyì | with great difficulty; very difficult |
Questions about 形容
What does 形容 mean?
形容 (xíngróng) means "to describe; (literary) countenance; appearance" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 形容?
形容 is made of 2 characters: 形 (7 strokes), 容 (10 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 形容 an HSK word?
Yes. 形容 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is 形容词 in Chinese?
形容词 (xíngróngcí) means adjective, literally a describing word. Examples are 高 (gāo) tall and 漂亮 (piàoliang) pretty.
How do you say 'indescribable' using 形容?
A common phrase is 难以形容 (nányǐ xíngróng), hard to describe. You can also say 无法形容 (wúfǎ xíngróng), impossible to describe, as in 美得无法形容, beautiful beyond words.