嫩 (nèn) - tender & delicate

嫩Tone 4

nèn ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

楠念

嫩 · nèn

tender;

delicate;

young;

soft;

inexperienced

tenderdelicateyoung

Usage highlights

tender leavesdelicate skinyoung shootssoft tofutender meatyoung girl

Synonyms

  • 柔— soft; gentle
  • 软— soft
  • 幼— young; immature

Antonyms

  • 老— old; tough
  • 硬— hard
  • 熟— ripe; experienced

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The leaves are tender and green (嫩叶).
  • She has delicate, fair skin (皮肤很嫩).
  • This is a young, inexperienced teacher (嫩老师).
  • The tofu is very soft (嫩豆腐).

Collocations

  • tender leaves(嫩叶)
  • delicate skin(嫩肤)
  • young shoots(嫩芽)
  • soft tofu(嫩豆腐)
  • tender meat(嫩肉)
  • young girl(嫩妹)

Idioms

  • As tender as a flower and as delicate as jade(嫩如娇花，脆若细玉)
  • Young and tender(娇嫩欲滴)
  • Tender face(嫩脸皮)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used to describe youth, freshness, and inexperience, carrying positive connotations of purity and potential.
  • In culinary contexts, it describes a desirable texture of food, especially vegetables and meat.
  • Can sometimes carry a slightly negative connotation when referring to a lack of experience or maturity in a person.

FAQ