渐 jiān / jiàn — imbue; gradual; gradually
天色渐渐暗了下来。Tiān sè jiàn jiàn àn le xià lái.The sky gradually darkened.
Common words: 逐渐 (zhú jiàn)、渐渐 (jiàn jiàn)、循序渐进 (xún xù jiàn jìn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "gradual"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "gradual", including 渐 (jiān / jiàn), 缓 (huǎn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "gradual" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 渐 (jiān / jiàn), 缓 (huǎn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jiān, jiàn, huǎn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 渐 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 渐 jiān / jiànimbue; gradual; graduallyUseful words: 逐渐, 渐渐
- 缓 huǎnslow; sluggish; gradual; to postponeUseful words: 缓解, 缓慢
Common words for these 2 "gradual" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 渐 (jiān / jiàn) — so "gradual" 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 "gradual".
缓 huǎn — slow; sluggish; gradual; to postpone
听了他的解释，我的心情缓和了一些。Tīng le tā de jiě shì, wǒ de xīn qíng huǎn hé le yì xiē.After hearing his explanation, my mood eased a little.
Common words: 缓解 (huǎn jiě)、缓慢 (huǎn màn)、缓和 (huǎn hé)
All 2 characters
Open 渐、缓 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.