Chinese word

狭窄

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiá zhǎi

Meaning

  • adjectivenarrow

Example

楼梯间很狭窄，上下要注意。lóu tī jiān hěn xiá zhǎi shàng xià yào zhù yì

The stairwell is very narrow, so be careful when going up and down.

Illustration for 狭窄 (narrow)

More examples

医生说他的血管有些狭窄，需要进一步检查。yī shēng shuō tā de xuè guǎn yǒu xiē xiá zhǎi xū yào jìn yí bù jiǎn chá

The doctor said that his blood vessels were somewhat narrowed and needed further examination.

Core concept

A passage or range narrowed from the sides, leaving little space for movement or expansion.

Common phrases

  • 思想狭窄sī xiǎng xiá zhǎi

    narrow-minded

  • 狭窄的街道xiá zhǎi de jiē dào

    narrow street

  • 空间狭窄kōng jiān xiá zhǎi

    cramped space

Similar words

窄zhǎi: Not wide across, so there is hardly any spare room from side to side.
狭小xiá xiǎo: Covering only a small area or extending over a limited range.
紧凑jǐn còu: Grouped closely and neatly so that the available space is used efficiently.
狭隘xiá ài: Restricted in outlook or range, so choices and possible directions are limited.

Definition in Chinese

指物体或区域横向尺寸小，给人封闭或受限的感觉，可用于实际空间或抽象范围。zhǐ wù tǐ huò qū yù héng xiàng chǐ cùn xiǎo gěi rén fēng bì huò shòu xiàn de gǎn jué kě yòng yú shí jì kōng jiān huò chōu xiàng fàn wéi

Word origin

The word 狭窄 (xiázhǎi, "narrow") combines 狭 (xiá, "narrow") and 窄 (zhǎi, "narrow"), whose overlapping meanings reinforce the idea of limited room.

Usage tips

  • Before a noun, 狭窄 (xiázhǎi, "narrow") often takes 的 (de, "of"), while a spoken predicate can use a degree marker; learning both patterns helps form natural descriptions.

Opposites

Related words

  • 狭窄感xiá zhǎi gǎnsense of narrownessnoun

Word lists with this word