慢 màn — slow
请你说得慢一点儿。Qǐng nǐ shuō de màn yì diǎnr.Please speak a little more slowly.
Common words: 慢慢 (màn màn)、缓慢 (huǎn màn)、慢性 (màn xìng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "slow"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "slow", including 慢 (màn), 缓 (huǎn), 徐 (xú), 迟 (chí). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "slow" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 慢 (màn), 缓 (huǎn), 徐 (xú), 迟 (chí) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span màn, huǎn, xú, chí — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 慢 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 慢 mànslowUseful words: 慢慢, 缓慢
- 缓 huǎnslow; sluggish; gradual; to postponeUseful words: 缓解, 缓慢
- 徐 xúslow; gentle; Xu (a surname)Useful words: 徐徐, 徐行
- 迟 chílate; delayed; slowUseful words: 迟到, 推迟
Common words for these 4 "slow" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 慢 (màn) — so "slow" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
慢慢màn mànslowly; gradually缓慢huǎn mànslow; unhurried; sluggish慢性màn xìngslow and patient; chronic (disease); slow to take effect (e.g. a slow poison)缓解huǎn jiěto bring relief; to alleviate (a crisis); to dull (a pain)缓慢huǎn mànslow; unhurried; sluggish缓和huǎn héto ease (tension); to alleviate; to moderate; to allay徐徐xú xúslowly; gently徐行xú xíngto walk slowly; to stroll徐步xú bùto stroll; to walk slowly迟到chí dàoto arrive late
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 4 ways to say "slow".
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)
徐 xú — slow; gentle; Xu (a surname)
微风徐徐地吹过田野。Wēi fēng xú xú de chuī guò tián yě.A breeze blew gently across the fields.
Common words: 徐徐 (xú xú)、徐行 (xú xíng)、徐步 (xú bù)
迟 chí — late; delayed; slow
因为堵车，他上班迟到了。Yīn wèi dǔ chē, tā shàng bān chí dào le.Because of traffic, he was late for work.
Common words: 迟到 (chí dào)、推迟 (tuī chí)、迟疑 (chí yí)
All 4 characters
Open 慢、缓、徐 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.