软硬

軟硬

ruǎnyìng

noun

Meanings

1 softness and hardness (lit.)
2 gentle and harsh approaches; soft and hard measures

Characters

Examples

HSK 3

谈判时软硬都要用。

Tánpàn shí ruǎnyìng dōu yào yòng.

In negotiation you need both soft and hard tactics.

HSK 7-9

你试试这个床垫的软硬。

Nǐ shìshì zhège chuángdiàn de ruǎnyìng.

Try out the softness of this mattress.

Tips

usage

Appears in several fixed phrases: 软硬兼施 ('use both carrot and stick'), 软硬不吃 ('unmoved by force or persuasion'), 软硬件 ('software and hardware'). The bare noun 软硬 commonly refers to mattress/pillow firmness in everyday speech.

Stroke Order

软 ruǎn

硬 yìng