Meaning of 软
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- soft
- flexible
- variant of 軟|软[ruan3]
How to use 软
软 describes things that are soft to the touch, and it also extends to people or attitudes that are weak or yielding, as in 软弱 (ruǎnruò). It appears in many modern words like 软件 (ruǎnjiàn, software). Example: 这个枕头很软。(Zhège zhěntou hěn ruǎn.) This pillow is very soft.
软 has 车 (chē, vehicle) on the left and 欠 on the right. Picture an old cart riding on soft, flexible wheels so the ride feels gentle.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 软 with 较 (jiào, comparatively), since both have 车 on the left. Remember that 软 has 欠 on the right, while 较 has 交. Also keep the third tone in ruǎn and do not say ruán.
软 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.
软 ruǎn · soft · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 软.
| 软件 | ruǎnjiàn | software |
| 软弱 | ruǎnruò | weak; feeble |
| 柔软 | róuruǎn | soft |
| 软实力 | ruǎnshílì | soft power (in international relations) |
| 软糖 | ruǎntáng | soft candy (gummi candy, gumdrop, jellybean etc) |
| 软禁 | ruǎnjìn | to place under house arrest |
| 心软 | xīnruǎn | to be softhearted; to be tenderhearted |
| 手软 | shǒuruǎn | to be lenient; to relent |
| 软化 | ruǎnhuà | to soften |
| 软管 | ruǎnguǎn | hose; flexible tube |
| 松软 | sōngruǎn | flexible; not rigid |
| 软肋 | ruǎnlèi | (anatomy) costal cartilage; (fig.) weak spot; weak link; vulnerability |
Questions about 软
What does 软 mean?
软 (ruǎn) means "soft; flexible" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 软?
软 is made of 1 character: 软 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 软 an HSK word?
Yes. 软 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 软 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 软 is written 軟.
What is the opposite of 软?
The usual opposite is 硬 (yìng), meaning hard or stiff. You see the pair in 软件 (software) and 硬件 (yìngjiàn, hardware).
What does 心软 mean?
心软 (xīnruǎn) means soft-hearted, describing someone who is easily moved to pity or gives in easily. For example, 他太心软了 (Tā tài xīnruǎn le) means he is too soft-hearted.