Chinese word

瘦

Pronunciation

Pinyinshòu

Meaning

  • adjectivethin

Example

她的脸很瘦。tā de liǎn hěn shòu

Her face is very thin.

Illustration for 瘦 (thin)

More examples

她的脸颊看起来很瘦，需要补充营养。tā de liǎn jiá kàn qǐ lái hěn shòu xū yào bǔ chōng yíng yǎng

Her cheeks look very thin, so she needs more nutrition.

Core concept

A body reduced to a narrower shape has less physical substance than a fuller body or than it had before.

Common phrases

  • 脸颊很瘦liǎn jiá hěn shòu

    thin cheeks

  • 身材很瘦shēn cái hěn shòu

    slim figure

Similar words

苗条miáo tiáo: Slim and shapely in appearance, with a neat and graceful body shape.
消瘦xiāo shòu: Thin and weakened after losing weight through illness or poor appetite.
瘦弱shòu ruò: Thin, weak, and lacking physical strength, with a frail appearance.
纤细xiān xì: Fine and slender in shape or line, creating a delicate appearance.

Definition in Chinese

表示人或动物体形窄小、脂肪或肌肉少，也可作动词表示变得更瘦biǎo shì rén huò dòng wù tǐ xíng zhái xiǎo zhī fáng huò jī ròu shǎo yě kě zuò dòng cí biǎo shì biàn de gèng shòu

Word origin

瘦 (shòu, "thin") combines 疒 (nè, "illness"), a meaning component linked with bodily conditions, and 叟 (sǒu, "old man"), a sound component.

Usage tips

  • This direct body description does not automatically express approval, so context and tone matter when it refers to a person's appearance.

Other meanings

  • lose weightverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 瘦身shòu shēnweight lossnoun
  • 瘦骨嶙峋shòu gǔ lín xúnskin and bonesidiom

Word lists with this word