p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards Sign in

窈

yǎo
adjective

Meanings

  1. 1 (in 窈窕) gentle and graceful (of a woman)
  2. 2 deep and secluded

Examples

窈窕淑女，君子好逑。
Yǎotiǎo shūnǚ, jūnzǐ hǎoqiú.
A gentle and graceful maiden is a fine match for a noble gentleman.
小径通向窈深之处。
Xiǎojìng tōngxiàng yǎo shēn zhī chù.
A narrow path winds deep into a secluded place.

Tips

culture
Best known from 窈窕淑女 ('a gentle and graceful maiden'), the opening of the first poem in the Book of Songs. Alone it carries the older sense of 'deep, dim, secluded'.

Components

radical
穴 xué
cave; hollow
Cave, the radical on top. Its sense of a deep hollow space underlies the original meaning 'deep and dim', the same family as 窕 and 窗.
phonetic
幼 yòu
young; tender; phonetic
Young, sitting below and supplying the sound; yòu shifts to yǎo. Its tender, delicate flavor faintly suits the 'graceful' sense.

Stroke Order

窈 yǎo