Chinese word

宽

Pronunciation

Pinyinkuān

Meaning

  • adjectivewide

Example

这条路很宽，可以并排行驶。zhè tiáo lù hěn kuān ké yǐ bìng pái xíng shǐ

The road is wide, so vehicles can drive side by side.

Illustration for 宽 (wide)

More examples

客厅很宽敞，适合招待客人。kè tīng hěn kuān chǎng shì hé zhāo dài kè rén

The living room is spacious, making it suitable for entertaining guests.

Core concept

A boundary sits far enough out to leave room, whether the room is physical or social.

Common phrases

  • 宽敞的房间kuān chǎng de fáng jiān

    spacious room

  • 宽阔的街道kuān kuò de jiē dào

    wide street

  • 视野宽广shì yě kuān guǎng

    broad field of vision

Similar words

宽敞kuān chǎng: Providing lots of comfortable space inside a room, building, or other place.
宽松kuān sōng: Not strict, so people have more freedom and face fewer limits.
宽容kuān róng: Accepting others' mistakes and differences with patience rather than blame.
宽大kuān dà: Treating someone gently by reducing punishment or choosing not to punish harshly.

Definition in Chinese

表示范围或度量较大，也常用来形容态度、要求或规则比较宽松、不严格。biǎo shì fàn wéi huò dù liàng jiào dà yě cháng yòng lái xíng róng tài dù yāo qiú huò guī zé bǐ jiào kuān sōng bù yán gé

Word origin

宽 (kuān, "wide") developed from an older written form associated with a roof and ample room inside, linking literal breadth with the later sense of allowing more freedom.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may expect one fixed equivalent, but surrounding nouns guide the natural rendering: a road concerns space, while a rule or requirement concerns how much freedom it permits.

Other meanings

  • widthnoun
  • looseadjective
  • generousadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word