How to say “modest” in Chinese
modest; be modest
“Modest” in Chinese is 谦虚, qiān xū: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
谦虚 is read qiān xū: 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, 讠 “speech”: modest words. On the right, 兼 jiān hints at the reading.
On top, the same “cap” as in 虎 and 虑. 虚心 — an “empty heart”: open to new things.
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 “谦虚”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 谦虚. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 他为人谦虚，从不骄傲。tāwéirénqiānxū,cóngbùjiāo’àoHe's a modest person and never gets big-headed.
- 你太谦虚了nǐtàiqiānxūleYou're being too modest.
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 “modest” in Chinese?
“Modest” in Chinese is 谦虚, pinyin qiānxū.
What does 谦虚 mean?
谦虚 (qiānxū) means “modest; be modest”.
How do you write 谦虚?
谦虚 is 2 characters: 谦 (qiān) — modest; 虚 (xū) — empty; false. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 谦虚?
谦虚 is read qiānxū. Tones: qiān — first tone, xū — first tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“modest” 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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