Chinese word

分寸

Pronunciation

Pinyinfēn cùn

Meaning

  • nounsense of proportion

Example

做事要有分寸，不能太过。zuò shì yào yǒu fēn cùn bù néng tài guò

You need a sense of proportion in what you do; don't go too far.

Illustration for 分寸 (sense of proportion)

More examples

开玩笑时要会拿捏分寸，才能不伤害别人。kāi wán xiào shí yào huì ná niē fēn cùn cái néng bù shāng hài bié rén

When joking, you need to exercise restraint so you do not hurt others.

Core concept

A mental ruler for judging how far words or actions should go in a situation.

Common phrases

  • 拿捏分寸ná niē fēn cùn

    exercise restraint

  • 把握分寸bǎ wò fēn cùn

    have a sense of proportion

Similar words

节制jié zhì: Restraint that prevents desires or actions from going too far.
礼节lǐ jié: The proper manners to follow when interacting with people.
限度xiàn dù: The greatest acceptable or possible extent of something.

Definition in Chinese

指在处理人际或言行时，把握合适限度的能力或标准。zhǐ zài chú lǐ rén jì huò yán xíng shí bǎ wò hé shì xiàn dù de néng lì huò biāo zhǔn

Word origin

The compound 分 (fēn, "part or measure") + 寸 (cùn, "inch") combines a portion with a small unit to suggest the proper amount or limit in conduct.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, praise, criticism, and requests are judged by how well they fit the relationship and moment, not only by whether their content is correct.

Other meanings

  • discretionnoun
  • tactnoun

Related words

  • 分寸感fēn cùn gǎnsense of proportionnoun

Word lists with this word