English–Chinese
“subtle” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinhán xù
Example
她的表情很含蓄，让我猜不出她的想法。tā de biǎo qíng hěn hán xù ràng wǒ cāi bù chū tā de xiáng fǎ
Her expression is very subtle, so I cannot tell what she is thinking.
How to say “subtle” in Chinese
“Subtle” in Chinese is 含蓄 (hán xù).
An idea kept partly inside an expression, so a hint carries what a direct statement leaves unstated.
Example sentences with 含蓄
在谈判中，他的表述很含蓄，对方未能立即把握意图。zài tán pàn zhōng tā de biǎo shù hěn hán xù duì fāng wèi néng lì jí bǎ wò yì tú
During the negotiations, his wording was subtle, so the other side could not immediately grasp his intention.
Tips for using 含蓄
- In everyday Chinese, describing someone this way can sound approving because restraint may be valued in social interaction, although the listener may need more context to understand the point.