细 (xì) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

细

xì[xi4]Tone 4

thin or fine

HSK 4

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細

Guru Deep Dive

English · thin or fine

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:8

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (silk thread radical) must be compressed slightly to make room for the right phonetic component, maintaining an even vertical balance.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 細 uses 纟 (糸) on the left and 田 on the right. The simplified form keeps the standard silk radical 纟 and uses 田 on the right.

1. Meaning

thin, slender, or fine

finely particulatethin and softdelicatetrifling or minor(of a sound) quietfrugal

AdjectiveNeutral#size#texture#quality#precision

Sample Usage

这根绳子太细了。
zhè gēn shéngzi tài xì le.
This rope is too thin.
请你仔细听。
qǐng nǐ zǐxì tīng.
Please listen carefully.

2. Sound

/[ɕi˥˩]/Tone: 51

细

xìxi4

`(51)

=xì

Initial Consonant

Type: Alveolo-Palatal Fricative

Sounds like: sh sound pronounced with the tongue blade flat against the lower gum and middle tongue raised toward the hard palate

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Hissing friction with lips stretched wide in a smile.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Front of tongue positioned high and close to the hard palate, creating a soft hiss.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -i vowel group

Sounds like: ee sound as in 'see'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ee'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops abruptly, mimicking an authoritative command or an emphatic 'No!' in English.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the alveolo-palatal sibilant 'x-' with the retroflex 'sh-' or dental 's-'. Ensure the tongue blade approaches the hard palate rather than curling back or resting behind the teeth.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, definitive nod downward, like dropping an object from eye level straight to the floor.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 8 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (silk thread radical) must be compressed slightly to make room for the right phonetic component, maintaining an even vertical balance.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 細 uses 纟 (糸) on the left and 田 on the right. The simplified form keeps the standard silk radical 纟 and uses 田 on the right.

4. Components

Radical 纟 · Silk Radical (silk, threads, fibers)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 纟 (Indicates fibers, threads, and things that are fine or thin.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 田 (original sound: tián / xì family sound evolution)

A single strand of silk (纟) stretched across a cultivated field (田) to measure out fine, delicate lines.

纟 silk thread
田 field

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

6· Phonetic Root: 田 (tián)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the silk radical (纟) representing threads and a phonetic or descriptive component indicating fine subdivision.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referring to fine silk threads, its meaning broadened to describe anything thin, minute, delicate, or meticulous.

Silk production in ancient China required extreme care and attention to fine details, cementing the association between silk threads and meticulousness.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: サイ / Kun: ほそ.い / こま.かい

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

세

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine pulling a single silk thread (纟) as thin as a hair across a square farming field (田). It is so fine and thin (细) that you need a magnifying glass to see it!

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

细

xìthin, fineBase character with silk radical.

鲼

fènray (fish)Replaces silk with fish radical.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

组(zǔ)

组 uses 且 on the right meaning group/team, whereas 细 uses 田 meaning thin/fine.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

这根绳子太[___]了，容易断。

Clue: xì

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the right-side component 田 with similar boxes or miswriting the stroke order of the silk radical on the left.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 细, what does it mean regarding physical dimensions or quality?

Production: How do you write the character for 'thin/fine' (xì) using the silk radical?

细xìthin or fine

Speed:

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