Chinese word

深奥

Pronunciation

Pinyinshēn ào

Meaning

  • adjectivedeep

Example

这个话题太深奥，我不太明白。zhè ge huà tí tài shēn ào wǒ bú tài míng bái

This topic is too deep for me to understand well.

Illustration for 深奥 (deep)

More examples

要理解这首诗的深奥之处，需要熟悉当时的历史背景。yào lí jiě zhè shǒu shī de shēn ào zhī chù xū yào shú xī dāng shí de lì shǐ bèi jǐng

To understand the profound aspects of this poem, you need to know the historical background of the time.

Core concept

Reaching beneath the obvious into layers that open only with background knowledge and thought.

Common phrases

  • 深奥的思想shēn ào de sī xiǎng

    profound thoughts

  • 深奥的含义shēn ào de hán yì

    profound meaning

  • 深奥之处shēn ào zhī chù

    profound aspects

Similar words

高深gāo shēn: Reaching a very high level in learning or skill and therefore being hard to grasp.
晦涩huì sè: Expressed in a way that makes the meaning hard to understand.
深邃shēn suì: Having a rich, far-reaching depth in scenery, eyes, or thought.
难懂nán dǒng: Not easy to understand, with the meaning unclear at first.

Definition in Chinese

指言论、问题或学问的含义很深，需要较多背景或思考才能明白。zhǐ yán lùn wèn tí huò xué wèn de hán yì hěn shēn xū yào jiào duō bèi jǐng huò sī kǎo cái néng míng bái

Word origin

深 (shēn, "deep") + 奥 (ào, "inner or hidden") presents meaning as depth that extends beyond the surface.

Usage tips

  • The word often sounds bookish in everyday speech, so it is especially natural in discussions of academic or abstract subjects rather than ordinary practical matters.

Other meanings

  • difficult to understandadjective

Opposites

  • 肤浅fū qiǎnsuperficialadjective

Word lists with this word