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)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "tender"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "tender", including 娇 (jiāo), 嫩 (nèn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "tender" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 娇 (jiāo), 嫩 (nèn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jiāo, nèn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 娇 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 娇 jiāolovable; pampered; tender; delicate; frailUseful words: 娇气, 娇惯
- 嫩 nèntender; softUseful words: 嫩主, 白嫩
Common words for these 2 "tender" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 娇 (jiāo) — so "tender" 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 "tender".
嫩 nèn — tender; soft
春天，柳树发出了嫩绿的新芽。Chūn tiān, liǔ shù fā chū le nèn lǜ de xīn yá.In spring, the willow puts out tender green sprouts.
Common words: 嫩主 (nèn zhǔ)、白嫩 (bái nèn)、装嫩 (zhuāng nèn)
All 2 characters
Open 娇、嫩 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.