澀 (sè) - Astringent & rough

澀Tone 4

sè ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

三姗

澀 · sè

Astringent;

rough;

harsh;

puckery;

not smooth;

difficult to understand;

obscure

Astringentroughharsh

Usage highlights

Astringent tasteRough feelingObscure writingEmbarrassed expressionHarsh voiceUnsmooth movement

Synonyms

  • 粗糙— rough, coarse
  • 艰深— abstruse, difficult to understand
  • 生硬— stiff, awkward

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The unripe persimmon tastes very astringent (涩味).
  • This road surface is rough (路面很涩).
  • He spoke in an obscure, difficult style (文笔艰涩).
  • She felt embarrassed and awkward (羞涩).

Collocations

  • Astringent taste(涩味)
  • Rough feeling(涩感)
  • Obscure writing(艰涩)
  • Embarrassed expression(羞涩)
  • Harsh voice(声音沙涩)
  • Unsmooth movement(生涩)

Idioms

  • Bitter and astringent(苦涩)
  • Shy and embarrassed(羞涩难当)
  • Crude and unskilled(生涩不熟)
  • Difficult and obscure(艰涩难懂)
  • Stagnant and blocked(滞涩不通)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, 'astringent' is one of the five basic tastes and is associated with contracting and consolidating properties.
  • In calligraphy and literature, '涩' describes writing that is difficult to understand or lacks smooth flow.
  • The character often carries negative connotations of difficulty, roughness, or awkwardness in various contexts.

FAQ