How to say “simple” in Chinese
simple, plain (unadorned)
“Simple” in Chinese is 朴素, pǔ sù: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
朴素 is read pǔ sù: 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 the left, 木 “tree”; on the right, 卜 bǔ hints at the reading, as it also does in 补 bǔ.
Below, 糸 “thread”: originally undyed silk. Hence “plain” and “basis”.
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 “朴素”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 朴素. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 她穿得很朴素tāchuāndehěnpǔsùShe dresses very simply.
More words from the lesson “Modest and simple”
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 朴素, pinyin pǔsù.
What does 朴素 mean?
朴素 (pǔsù) means “simple, plain (unadorned)”.
How do you write 朴素?
朴素 is 2 characters: 朴 (pǔ) — simple, plain; 素 (sù) — plain; element, basis. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 朴素?
朴素 is read pǔsù. Tones: pǔ — third tone, sù — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“simple” in the lesson “Modest and simple”
This word is from the topic “Character and behavior” of HSK 6. 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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