Meaning of 细
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- thin or slender
- finely particulate
- thin and soft
- fine
- delicate
- trifling
- (of a sound) quiet
- frugal
How to use 细
细 describes things that are thin or narrow, like noodles, lines, or a waist. It also means fine in texture or careful in detail, which is why it appears in words like 仔细 (zǐxì, careful) and 详细 (xiángxì, detailed). Example: 这条路很细。(Zhè tiáo lù hěn xì.) This road is very narrow.
细 (xì) has the silk radical 纟 on the left and 田 (tián, field) on the right. Picture a silk thread so fine it could stitch the tiny lines dividing a field.
Common mistake: Learners often use 细 for a thin person, but for body weight Chinese usually says 瘦 (shòu). 细 fits long, narrow shapes like 细腰 (xìyāo, slim waist) or 细线 (xìxiàn, thin thread).
细 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.
细 xì · thin or slender · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 细.
| 细节 | xìjié | details; particulars |
| 细致 | xìzhì | delicate; fine |
| 仔细 | zǐxì | careful; attentive; cautious; to be careful; to look out |
| 详细 | xiángxì | detailed; in detail |
| 细胞 | xìbāo | cell (biology) |
| 细菌 | xìjūn | bacterium; germ |
| 精细 | jīngxì | fine; meticulous |
| 细心 | xìxīn | meticulous; careful; attentive |
| 细微 | xìwēi | tiny; minute |
| 细腻 | xìnì | (of skin etc) smooth; satiny; delicate; (of a performance, depiction, craftsmanship etc) f |
| 精打细算 | jīngdǎ-xìsuàn | meticulous planning and careful accounting (idiom) |
| 底细 | dǐxì | inside information; the ins and outs of the matter |
Questions about 细
What does 细 mean?
细 (xì) means "thin or slender; finely particulate" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 细?
细 is made of 1 character: 细 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 细 an HSK word?
Yes. 细 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 细 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 细 is written 細.
What is the opposite of 细?
The usual opposite is 粗 (cū), meaning thick or coarse. For example, 粗线 (cūxiàn) is a thick line and 细线 (xìxiàn) is a thin line.
How is 仔细 used in a sentence?
仔细 (zǐxì) can describe a person or act as an adverb. For example, 请仔细看。(Qǐng zǐxì kàn.) means Please look carefully. You can also say 他很仔细 (tā hěn zǐxì) for He is very careful.