Definitions

nèn (adjective) tender; soft; delicate
nèn (adjective) light (color)
nèn (adjective) inexperienced; unskilled

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character for "嫩" originally encapsulated the concept of physical delicacy and softness, with its traditional form comprising the components 女 (woman) and 敕 (an order or to rectify), suggesting a connation of something refined and fragile. Over time, its primary meaning shifted from describing the tender texture of food or plants to prominently characterizing youthful human appearance, often implying a soft, delicate, and fresh quality. This semantic expansion further broadened to describe inexperience or lack of maturity in actions or skills, moving from a purely physical description to one encompassing behavioral and qualitative states, while still retaining its core association with softness and a lack of harshness.

Example Sentences Hide

这些青菜很

Zhè xiē qīngcài hěn nèn.

These green vegetables are very tender.

鸡肉要炒得才好吃。

Jīròu yào chǎo dé nèn cái hǎochī.

Chicken needs to be stir-fried until tender to be tasty.

她的皮肤像婴儿一样

Tā de pífū xiàng yīng'ér yīyàng nèn.

Her skin is as delicate as a baby's.

春天来了,树上长出了绿的叶子。

Chūntiān lái le, shù shàng zhǎng chū le nèn lǜ de yèzi.

Spring is here, and the trees are sprouting fresh green leaves.

一场春雨过后,草地上的芽格外可爱。

Yì chǎng chūnyǔ guò hòu, cǎodì shàng de nèn yá géwài kě'ài.

After a spring rain, the tender sprouts on the lawn are especially adorable.

这道菜用的是非常鲜的豆腐。

Zhè dào cài yòng de shì fēicháng xiānnèn de dòufu.

This dish uses extremely fresh and tender tofu.

别看他年纪轻,做事的手段可不

Bié kàn tā niánjì qīng, zuòshì de shǒuduàn kě bú nèn.

Don't underestimate him because he's young; his methods are far from inexperienced.

晨光中,那片沾着露水的叶,得仿佛能掐出水来。

Chénguāng zhōng, nà piàn zhān zhe lùshuǐ de nèn yè, nèn dé fǎngfú néng qiā chū shuǐ lái.

In the morning light, that dewy tender leaf looks so delicate it seems you could squeeze water out of it.