悄

qiāo, qiǎo

忄 + 肖

Definitions

qiāo (adjective) quiet; secret

qiǎo (adjective) quiet; sad

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 肖 represents the sound.

Semantic: 忄 Phonetic: 肖

About

悄 is a phono-semantic compound: the heart radical 忄 (xīn) on the left signals emotions or mental states, while 肖 (xiào, "to resemble") on the right provides the sound. Originally it denoted anxiety, worry, or hidden emotional distress, a nuance that survives in certain classical contexts and compound words for sorrow. The primary meaning later shifted to external quietness, silence, or stealth, as if inner stillness were projected onto the surrounding environment.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

孩子们悄悄地说着话。

Háizimen qiāoqiāo de shuōzhe huà.

The children were talking quietly.

她悄然离开了聚会。

Tā qiǎorán líkāi le jùhuì.

She left the party quietly.

春天悄然来到了人间。

Chūntiān qiǎorán lái dào le rénjiān.

Spring has quietly arrived in the world.

这个消息让我心里悄然一动。

Zhège xiāoxi ràng wǒ xīnli qiǎorán yī dòng.

This piece of news stirred a quiet feeling in my heart.

消息悄然传开，大家都知道了。

Xiāoxi qiǎorán chuán kāi, dàjiā dōu zhīdào le.

The news spread quietly, and everyone found out.

他悄无声息地完成了所有工作。

Tā qiāo wú shēngxī de wánchéng le suǒyǒu gōngzuò.

He completed all the work without a sound.

面对失败，他只能悄然接受现实。

Miànduì shībài, tā zhǐ néng qiǎorán jiēshòu xiànshí.

Faced with failure, he could only quietly accept reality.

夜色悄然降临，城市渐渐安静下来。

Yèsè qiǎorán jiànglín, chéngshì jiànjiàn ānjìng xiàlái.

Night fell quietly, and the city gradually became quiet.

Related Characters

Component: 忄

Component: 肖

悄