坦 tǎn — flat; open-hearted; level; smooth
他坦率地说出了自己的想法。Tā tǎn shuài de shuō chū le zì jǐ de xiǎng fǎ.He frankly expressed his own thoughts.
Common words: 坦率 (tǎn shuài)、平坦 (píng tǎn)、坦白 (tǎn bái)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "smooth"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "smooth", including 坦 (tǎn), 润 (rùn), 滑 (huá / gǔ), 畅 (chàng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "smooth" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 坦 (tǎn), 润 (rùn), 滑 (huá / gǔ), 畅 (chàng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span tǎn, rùn, huá, gǔ, chàng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 坦 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 坦 tǎnflat; open-hearted; level; smoothUseful words: 坦率, 平坦
- 润 rùnsmooth; moistUseful words: 湿润, 利润
- 滑 huá / gǔcomical; comical; cunning; slippery; smoothUseful words: 光滑, 滑冰
- 畅 chàngsmooth; fluent; joyful; happyUseful words: 畅销, 畅通
Common words for these 4 "smooth" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 坦 (tǎn) — so "smooth" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
坦率tǎn shuàifrank; candid; straightforward平坦píng tǎnlevel; even; smooth; flat坦白tǎn báihonest; forthcoming; to confess湿润shī rùnmoist利润lì rùnprofits滋润zī rùnmoist; humid; to moisten; to provide moisture光滑guāng huáglossy; sleek; smooth滑冰huá bīngto skate; skating滑雪huá xuěto ski; skiing畅销chàng xiāoto sell well; bestselling; chart-topping
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 "smooth".
润 rùn — smooth; moist
一场春雨过后，土地变得湿润了。Yì chǎng chūn yǔ guò hòu, tǔ dì biàn de shī rùn le.After a spring rain, the soil became moist.
Common words: 湿润 (shī rùn)、利润 (lì rùn)、滋润 (zī rùn)
滑 huá / gǔ — comical; comical; cunning; slippery; smooth
地面很滑，走路要小心。Dì miàn hěn huá, zǒu lù yào xiǎo xīn.The ground is slippery; be careful when walking.
Common words: 光滑 (guāng huá)、滑冰 (huá bīng)、滑雪 (huá xuě)
畅 chàng — smooth; fluent; joyful; happy
雨过天晴，他的心情十分舒畅。Yǔ guò tiān qíng, tā de xīn qíng shí fēn shū chàng.After the rain cleared, his mood was very relaxed.
Common words: 畅销 (chàng xiāo)、畅通 (chàng tōng)、舒畅 (shū chàng)
All 4 characters
Open 坦、润、滑 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.