纤 xiān / qiàn — boatman's tow-rope; fine; delicate; minute
她有一双纤细的手指。Tā yǒu yì shuāng xiān xì de shǒu zhǐ.She has a pair of slender fingers.
Common words: 纤维 (xiān wéi)、化纤 (huà xiān)、纤道 (qiàn dào)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "delicate"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "delicate", including 纤 (xiān / qiàn), 娇 (jiāo). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "delicate" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 纤 (xiān / qiàn), 娇 (jiāo) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xiān, qiàn, jiāo — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 纤 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 纤 xiān / qiànboatman's tow-rope; fine; delicate; minuteUseful words: 纤维, 化纤
- 娇 jiāolovable; pampered; tender; delicate; frailUseful words: 娇气, 娇惯
Common words for these 2 "delicate" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 纤 (xiān / qiàn) — so "delicate" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "delicate".
娇 jiāo — lovable; pampered; tender; delicate; frail
这个孩子从小被娇生惯养。Zhè ge hái zi cóng xiǎo bèi jiāo shēng guàn yǎng.This child has been pampered since childhood.
Common words: 娇气 (jiāo qì)、娇惯 (jiāo guàn)、娇小 (jiāo xiǎo)
All 2 characters
Open 纤、娇 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.