婉 (wǎn) - Graceful, gentle, tactful, mild & pleasing

婉Tone 3

wǎn ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

娜婷

婉 · wǎn

Graceful, gentle, tactful, mild;

pleasing;

beautiful;

originally meant 'submissive' or 'obedient' but evolved to connote graceful femininity.

Graceful, gentle, tactful, mildpleasingbeautiful

Usage highlights

Gentle and gracefulTactful wordsEuphemismTactfully declineGraceful and charmingMelodious

Synonyms

  • 柔— soft, gentle
  • 雅— elegant, refined
  • 淑— kind, virtuous

Antonyms

  • 刚— hard, rigid, unyielding
  • 悍— fierce, rude
  • 直— straightforward, blunt

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She has a gentle and graceful demeanor (温婉).
  • The host politely declined the offer (婉拒).
  • She expressed her opinion tactfully (婉言).
  • The melody is soft and beautiful (婉转).

Collocations

  • Gentle and graceful(温婉)
  • Tactful words(婉言)
  • Euphemism(婉辞)
  • Tactfully decline(婉拒)
  • Graceful and charming(婉丽)
  • Melodious(婉转)

Idioms

  • Graceful and charming(婉婉有仪)
  • Tender and beautiful(燕婉之欢)
  • Gentle and compliant(婉娩顺从)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally associated with idealized feminine virtues in Confucian culture: gentleness, modesty, and tact.
  • Often used in classical poetry to describe graceful feminine beauty and demeanor.
  • Considered an auspicious character for female names, conveying elegance and refinement.

FAQ