How to say “simple” in Chinese
simple
“Simple” in Chinese is 简单, jiǎn dān: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
简单 is read jiǎn dān: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On top, 竹 “bamboo”; below, 间 jiān hints at the sound.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “简单”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 简单. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 这个问题很简单zhègewèntíhěnjiǎndānThis question is very simple.
- 我太笨了，这么简单的题都做错了。wǒtàibènle,zhèmejiǎndāndetídōuzuòcuòleI'm so dumb: I got even such an easy problem wrong.
- 这个办法简单并且有用zhègebànfǎjiǎndānbìngqiěyǒuyòngThis method is simple and useful too.
- 大家都以为很难实际上很简单dàjiādōuyǐwéihěnnán,shíjìshànghěnjiǎndānEveryone thought it was hard, but in fact it's simple.
- 你太天真了，事情没那么简单。nǐtàitiānzhēnle,shìqingméinàmejiǎndānYou're too naive: things aren't that simple.
- 他喜欢把复杂的问题简单化。tāxǐhuanbǎfùzádewèntíjiǎndānhuàHe likes to simplify complicated issues.
More words from the lesson “Hard or easy?”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “simple” in Chinese?
“Simple” in Chinese is 简单, pinyin jiǎndān.
What does 简单 mean?
简单 (jiǎndān) means “simple”.
How do you write 简单?
简单 is 2 characters: 简 (jiǎn) — simple; 单 (dān) — single; list. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 简单?
简单 is read jiǎndān. Tones: jiǎn — third tone, dān — first tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“simple” in the lesson “Hard or easy?”
This word is from the topic “Studying” of HSK 3. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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