萧 xiāo — mournful
深秋的公园里一片萧条，落叶满地。Shēn qiū de gōng yuán lǐ yí piàn xiāo tiáo, luò yè mǎn dì.In late autumn the park is desolate, with fallen leaves everywhere.
Common words: 萧条 (xiāo tiáo)、萧然 (xiāo rán)、萧索 (xiāo suǒ)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "mournful"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "mournful", including 萧 (xiāo), 凄 (qī). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "mournful" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 萧 (xiāo), 凄 (qī) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xiāo, qī — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 萧 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 萧 xiāomournfulUseful words: 萧条, 萧然
- 凄 qīintense cold; mournful; sorrowfulUseful words: 凄凉, 凄然
Common words for these 2 "mournful" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 萧 (xiāo) — so "mournful" 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 "mournful".
凄 qī — intense cold; mournful; sorrowful
深秋的夜晚，风声听起来有些凄凉。Shēn qiū de yè wǎn, fēng shēng tīng qǐ lái yǒu xiē qī liáng.On a late-autumn night, the sound of the wind seems a bit dreary.
Common words: 凄凉 (qī liáng)、凄然 (qī rán)、凄美 (qī měi)
All 2 characters
Open 萧、凄 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.