昵 (nì) - Intimate & close

昵Tone 4

nì ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 日

楠念

昵 · nì

Intimate;

close;

affectionate;

familiar;

often used to describe close relationships or affectionate interactions.

Intimatecloseaffectionate

Usage highlights

NicknameIntimate talkAffectionateClose friendAffectionate wordsIntimate relationship

Synonyms

  • 亲— close; intimate
  • 密— close; intimate
  • 近— near; close
  • 狎— familiar; intimate (sometimes with negative connotation)

Antonyms

  • 疏— distant; estranged
  • 远— far; distant
  • 生— unfamiliar; strange

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • They have a very intimate relationship (关系很亲密).
  • The nickname shows affection (昵称).
  • They were chatting intimately (昵谈).
  • The child was being affectionate with their parent (亲昵).

Collocations

  • Nickname(昵称)
  • Intimate talk(昵谈)
  • Affectionate(亲昵)
  • Close friend(昵友)
  • Affectionate words(昵语)
  • Intimate relationship(昵爱)

Idioms

  • Extremely intimate and affectionate(狎昵过度)
  • Intimate friends(昵交)
  • Affectionate and close(亲昵无间)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'close to the sun' or 'warm', later extended to mean emotional closeness and intimacy.
  • In Chinese culture, appropriate levels of intimacy (昵) are valued in relationships, with boundaries respected.
  • Used in both positive contexts (close friendships) and cautionary contexts (excessive familiarity).

FAQ