详

詳
xiáng
adjective #15,192

Meanings

  1. 1 detailed
  2. 2 comprehensive

Examples

HSK 4
Xiángqíng qǐng chákàn wǎngzhàn.
Please check the website for details.
HSK 4
Tā xiángxì de jiěshì le jìhuà.
He explained the plan in great detail.
HSK 5
Qǐng gěi wǒ yí fèn xiángxì de bàogào.
Please give me a detailed report.

Tips

memory
言 speech + 羊 sheep - explaining something as thoroughly as counting sheep.

Components

radical
讠 yán
speech (radical form of 言)
Left speech radical - the indexing radical in its 2-stroke side form. Marks 详 as a verbal act: explaining in detail, going over things thoroughly with words. Anchors it in the speech family with 说 (say), 论 (discuss), 议 (deliberate), 谈 (chat) - and most directly with 详细 (detailed) and 详尽 (exhaustive).
phonetic
羊 yáng
sheep; goat
Right side 羊 supplies the sound - yáng shifted to xiáng through an onset alternation that also gives 祥 (auspicious), 翔 (soar), 洋 (ocean). The 'sheep' meaning is unused here; this is a clean phonetic-only role. A useful mnemonic: 详 is speech laid out as patiently as counting a flock of sheep one by one.

Stroke Order

详 xiáng