琐 (suǒ) - trivial, petty, trifling & also refers to jade pieces tinkling together, hence

琐Tone 3

suǒ ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

琐 · suǒ

trivial, petty, trifling;

also refers to jade pieces tinkling together, hence intricate details

trivial, petty, triflingalso refers to jade pieces tinkling together, hence

Usage highlights

trivial matterspetty detailstrivial talktrivial affairspetty gossiptrivial news

Synonyms

  • 细— fine, small, detailed
  • 微— tiny, minute
  • 碎— broken, fragmentary

Antonyms

  • 大— big, great, important
  • 重— important, weighty
  • 要— important, essential

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Don't bother with trivial matters (琐事).
  • He is always concerned with petty details (琐碎的细节).
  • The meeting discussed trivial affairs (琐务).
  • She told me some trivial news (琐闻).

Collocations

  • trivial matters(琐事)
  • petty details(琐碎)
  • trivial talk(琐谈)
  • trivial affairs(琐务)
  • petty gossip(琐言)
  • trivial news(琐闻)

Idioms

  • Trivial and complicated(琐琐屑屑)
  • Petty and vulgar(琐琐碌碌)
  • Trivial and fragmented(零零琐琐)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted jade pieces tinkling together, representing intricate details and smallness
  • In Confucian culture, being overly concerned with trivial matters was seen as lacking in grand vision
  • Often used in literary contexts to describe mundane, everyday concerns as opposed to important affairs

FAQ