Learn a Chinese Character - 窄 (zhǎi) - Narrow

1. Character Basics (基本信息)

Radical: 穴 (cave radical)

Stroke Count: 10

Character Decomposition: 穴 + 乍 (cave + suddenly)

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation (发音)

Pinyin: zhǎi (third tone)

3. Meaning (含义)

窄 describes something with a small width or limited space. It can also be used metaphorically to mean limited in scope or opportunity. “窄”用来形容宽度小或者空间有限的事物。也可隐喻范围或机会有限。

4. Common Words (常用词汇)

• 狭窄 (xiá zhǎi) - narrow
• 宽窄 (kuān zhǎi) - width (literally: wide and narrow)
• 窄路 (zhǎi lù) - narrow road

5. Grammar & Usage (语法与用法)

窄 is an adjective and is often used to modify nouns such as roads, alleys, or ideas. It can also be used in comparative and superlative forms. “窄”是形容词，常用来修饰名词，如道路、小巷或想法等。也可用于比较级和最高级形式。

6. Cultural Background (文化背景)

In Chinese culture, the concept of narrowness can be related to traditional architecture, where narrow alleys are common in old cities. It can also symbolize a lack of open - mindedness in some idiomatic expressions. 在中国文化中，“窄”的概念与传统建筑有关，老城区常见狭窄的小巷。在一些习语表达中，它也象征着思想不够开阔。

7. Example Sentence (例句)

8. Memory Tips (记忆技巧)

Think of 窄 as a cave (穴) that suddenly (乍) becomes smaller, which gives the idea of narrowness. 可以把“窄”想象成一个洞穴（穴）突然（乍）变小了，这样就有了“窄”的概念。