Chinese word

萧条

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiāo tiáo

Meaning

  • adjectivedeserted

Example

商店关门后，街道显得很萧条。shāng diàn guān mén hòu jiē dào xiǎn de hěn xiāo tiáo

After the shops close, the street looks very deserted.

Illustration for 萧条 (deserted)

More examples

投资减少导致房屋中介的工作量下降，办公室显得萧条。tóu zī jián shǎo dǎo zhì fáng wū zhōng jiè de gōng zuò liàng xià jiàng bàn gōng shì xiǎn de xiāo tiáo

Reduced investment has lowered the workload at the real estate agency, so the office looks deserted.

Core concept

A quiet scene that feels barren rather than peaceful, with too little movement or human presence.

Common phrases

  • 市场萧条shì chǎng xiāo tiáo

    sluggish market

  • 生意萧条shēng yì xiāo tiáo

    slow business

  • 萧条的氛围xiāo tiáo de fēn wéi

    deserted atmosphere

Similar words

冷清lěng qīng: Describes somewhere lacking the usual people, shops, or bustle, so it feels still and lonely.
荒凉huāng liáng: Describes an open area that seems empty, wild, and bleak because almost nobody is there.
萧瑟xiāo sè: Describes a lonely atmosphere created by wind, bare branches, and other signs of cold quietness.
冷落lěng luò: Describes something that receives little attention or use and therefore appears lonely and neglected.

Definition in Chinese

形容景象冷清、缺乏生气或显得荒凉的状态。xíng róng jǐng xiàng lěng qīng quē fá shēng qì huò xiǎn de huāng liáng de zhuàng tài

Word origin

萧条 (xiāotiáo, "bleak and lifeless") develops from the older idea of a sparse, bleak appearance and broadens to describe places or periods that have lost activity and prosperity.

Usage tips

  • This adjective has a more written and atmospheric tone than most everyday descriptions, so it appears especially often in reports and polished descriptions of places or economic conditions.

Other meanings

  • depressedadjective
  • desolateadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word