Chinese word

胆怯

Pronunciation

Pinyindǎn qiè

Meaning

  • adjectivetimid

Example

不要胆怯，你可以做到的。bú yào dǎn qiè nǐ ké yǐ zuò dào de

Don't be timid; you can do it.

Illustration for 胆怯 (timid)

More examples

孩子在黑暗中有点胆怯，紧紧抓住父亲的手。hái zi zài hēi àn zhōng yóu diǎn dǎn qiè jín jǐn zhuā zhù fù qīn de shǒu

The child was a little timid in the dark and held his father's hand tightly.

Core concept

A person stands before something difficult but lacks the nerve to move forward.

Common phrases

  • 感到胆怯gǎn dào dǎn qiè

    feel timid

  • 显得胆怯xiǎn de dǎn qiè

    seem timid

  • 有些胆怯yǒu xiē dǎn qiè

    be a little timid

Similar words

胆小dán xiǎo: Having a fearful nature that makes bold action difficult.
害怕hài pà: Feeling fear or worry when facing danger or something uncertain.

Definition in Chinese

因为害怕或缺乏勇气而退缩，不敢去做某事。yīn wèi hài pà huò quē fá yǒng qì ér tuì suō bù gǎn qù zuò mǒu shì

Word origin

胆怯 (dǎnqiè, "timid") is formed from 胆 (dǎn, "courage") + 怯 (qiè, "fearful"), so its parts join courage and fear to express holding back.

Usage tips

  • 胆怯 (dǎnqiè, "timid") focuses on fear that prevents action, rather than simply describing someone who is quiet, reserved, or soft-spoken.

Other meanings

  • be afraidverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 胆怯地dǎn qiè dìtimidlyadverb

Word lists with this word