軟 (ruǎn) - Soft — not hard or firm & yielding to pressure

軟Tone 3

ruǎn ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

儒三

軟 · ruǎn

Soft — not hard or firm;

yielding to pressure;

gentle;

weak;

flexible;

pliable.

Soft — not hard or firmyielding to pressuregentle

Usage highlights

Soft pillowSoft voiceSoft materialSoft drinkSoftwareSoft power

Synonyms

  • 柔— soft, gentle, pliable
  • 弱— weak, feeble

Antonyms

  • 硬— hard, firm, rigid
  • 剛— hard, strong, unyielding

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The pillow is very soft (軟枕頭).
  • She has a soft voice (柔軟的聲音).
  • This material is soft to the touch (觸感柔軟).
  • He took a soft approach to the negotiation (軟性 approach).

Collocations

  • Soft pillow(軟枕頭)
  • Soft voice(軟聲)
  • Soft material(軟材料)
  • Soft drink(軟飲料)
  • Software(軟件)
  • Soft power(軟實力)

Idioms

  • Weak and incompetent(軟弱無能)
  • Soft words and hard heart(口軟心硬)
  • Soft ears(耳根子軟)
  • Soft-bodied crab(軟腳蟹)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, 'soft' often contrasts with 'hard' (硬) in concepts like soft power vs hard power.
  • The character appears in modern terms like 'software' (軟件), showing adaptation to technology.
  • Traditionally associated with gentleness and flexibility in both physical and personality traits.

FAQ