狭

狹/陿

xiá

夹 + 犭

Definitions

xiá (adjective) narrow; cramped

xiá (adjective) narrow-minded

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 犭 represents the meaning and 夹 represents the sound. Simplified form of 狹.

Semantic: 犭 Phonetic: 夹

About

The character 狭 (traditional: 狹) is a phono-semantic compound with the radical 犭 (dog/animal) on the left and the phonetic component 夹 (to squeeze) on the right. Its core meaning refers to physical narrowness, a constrained width or limited space. This sense extends metaphorically to describe a narrow or intolerant mindset, indicating a restricted perspective. The component 夹 not only provides the sound but also reinforces the idea of compression or being squeezed between boundaries.

Etymology Hide

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这条街道很狭窄。

Zhè tiáo jiēdào hěn xiázhǎi.

This street is very narrow.

房间的门口太狭窄了。

Fángjiān de ménkǒu tài xiázhǎi le.

The doorway of the room is too narrow.

他的观点有些狭隘。

Tā de guāndiǎn yǒuxiē xiá'ài.

His viewpoint is somewhat narrow-minded.

山谷是狭长的形状。

Shāngǔ shì xiácháng de xíngzhuàng.

The valley has a long and narrow shape.

这间办公室很狭小。

Zhè jiān bàngōngshì hěn xiáxiǎo.

This office is very small and narrow.

由于道路狭窄，车辆通行缓慢。

Yóuyú dàolù xiázhǎi, chēliàng tōngxíng huǎnmàn.

Because the road is narrow, vehicles pass slowly.

从狭义上讲，这个词专指生物学概念。

Cóng xiáyì shàng jiǎng, zhège cí zhuān zhǐ shēngwùxué gàiniàn.

In a narrow sense, this term specifically refers to a biological concept.

尽管空间狭隘，但他们的思想却无比开阔。

Jǐnguǎn kōngjiān xiá'ài, dàn tāmen de sīxiǎng què wúbǐ kāikuò.

Although the space is narrow, their thoughts are incredibly broad.

Related Characters

Component: 夹

Component: 犭

狭