Chinese word

偏

Pronunciation

Pinyinpiān

Meaning

  • adverba little

Example

这个菜偏咸。zhè ge cài piān xián

This dish is a little salty.

Illustration for 偏 (a little)

More examples

这款蛋糕偏甜，适合喜欢甜食的人。zhè kuǎn dàn gāo piān tián shì hé xǐ huān tián shí de rén

This cake is a little sweet and is suitable for people who like sweet foods.

Core concept

A quality sits slightly beyond the usual midpoint rather than reaching an extreme.

Common phrases

  • 偏甜piān tián

    a little sweet

  • 偏冷piān lěng

    a little cold

  • 偏低piān dī

    a little low

Similar words

有点儿yóu diǎnr: Indicates that a quality or state exists in a small amount.
有些yǒu xiē: Indicates that a quality applies somewhat, without defining its exact strength.
稍微shāo wēi: Softens an action or description by limiting it to a very small degree.
略微lüè wēi: Reports a very small degree or change with a concise, formal tone.

Definition in Chinese

作为副词，表示程度上稍微、略有偏向某种性质或状态，常用于口语，常用来修饰形容词或表示轻微的差异。zuò wéi fù cí biǎo shì chéng dù shàng shāo wēi lüè yǒu piān xiàng móu zhǒng xìng zhì huò zhuàng tài cháng yòng yú kóu yǔ cháng yòng lái xiū shì xíng róng cí huò biǎo shì qīng wēi de chā yì

Word origin

偏 (piān, "lean to one side") is formed from 亻 (rén, "person") + 扁 (biǎn, "flat"), with 扁 mainly supplying the sound; its one-sided meaning developed into a mild degree marker.

Usage tips

  • In casual spoken descriptions, this adverb usually comes before the adjective, framing a taste or other quality as a mild departure without making it sound like a complaint.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word