窄 (zhǎi): narrow

Meanings

1 narrow
2 tight
3 narrow-minded

Characters

窄

zhǎi

narrow

Examples

这条路太窄了。

Zhè tiáo lù tài zhǎi le.

This road is too narrow.

他的心眼很窄。

Tā de xīnyǎn hěn zhǎi.

He is very narrow-minded.

Tips

usage

窄 is the opposite of 宽 (kuān, wide). Beyond physical width, 心眼窄 means narrow-minded, while 路窄 can metaphorically mean 'limited options.'

Components

radical

穴 xué

cave; hole

Cave/hole radical at the top — the indexing radical, picturing a roof over a doorway-opening, the simplified outline of a cave dwelling. Anchors 窄 in the family of confined-space chars with 空 (empty), 穿 (pierce through), 窗 (window), 究 (investigate-thoroughly). A narrow opening is essentially a small cave-mouth.

phonetic

乍 zhà

suddenly; at first (here phonetic)

Bottom 乍 supplies the sound (zhà → zhǎi with tone shift). 乍 originally pictured a quick darting movement and means 'suddenly,' adding a faint semantic colouring: passing through a narrow opening is a quick squeeze, a sudden compression. Same phonetic anchors 炸 (explode), 榨 (press out), 诈 (deceive).