Chinese Conversation · Level 1
86 words
Chinese word
慢
Pronunciation
Pinyinmàn
Meaning
- adjectiveslow
Example
他开车很慢。tā kāi chē hěn màn
He drives very slowly.
More examples
别走得太慢。bié zǒu de tài màn
Don't walk too slowly.
Core concept
A pace that stretches out instead of rushing, giving movement or progress a calm, unhurried feel.
Common phrases
开得慢kāi de màn
drive slowly
走得慢zǒu de màn
walk slowly
慢一点màn yì diǎn
a little slower
Similar words
快kuài: Moving or progressing quickly, so an action takes little time.
Definition in Chinese
行动或过程比正常节奏慢，速度缓慢，有时含有不急或悠然的态度。xíng dòng huò guò chéng bǐ zhèng cháng jié zòu màn sù dù huǎn màn yǒu shí hán yǒu bù jí huò yōu rán de tài dù
Word origin
慢 (màn, "slow") is a phono-semantic character: 忄 (xīn, "heart") marks a meaning area linked with states or conduct, while 曼 (màn, "extended") supplies the sound.
Usage tips
- English often treats a slow pace as a problem, while 慢 (màn, "slow") can neutrally describe a relaxed pace, so context shows whether the speaker is criticizing speed.