細

See also: 细

細	U+7D30, 細 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7D30

← 累
[U+7D2F]

CJK Unified Ideographs

紱 →
[U+7D31]

Translingual

Han character

細 (Kangxi radical 120, 糸+5, 11 strokes, cangjie input 女火田 (VFW), four-corner 2690₀, composition ⿰糹田)

Derived characters

𱔕, 𫱫, 𪷉, 𫋘, 𫎰, 𬧐, 𫙶, 𦃯, 𬗱, 𬘅, 𫄕, 𦹀, 𬗽, 𧀇

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 919, character 36
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 27344
Dae Jaweon: page 1351, character 7
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3380, character 5
Unihan data for U+7D30

Chinese

trad.		細
simp.		细
alternative forms		𥿳⼩ ("small") Hokkien

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 細
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (囟) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
崽	ʔslɯːʔ, srɯː, *srɯː
偲	sn̥ʰɯː, snɯ
腮	*snɯː
鰓	*snɯː
揌	*snɯː
顋	*snɯː
愢	*snɯː
毢	*snɯː
諰	srɯː, snɯʔ
細	*snɯːls
思	snɯ, snɯs
緦	*snɯ
罳	*snɯ
禗	*snɯ
楒	*snɯ
葸	*snɯʔ
恖	*snɯ
颸	*sʰrɯ
囟	*snɯns
顖	*sniŋs
毸	*snɯː

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *snɯːls): semantic 糸 + phonetic 囟 (OC *snɯns). The right component is etymologically unrelated to 田 in which it was corrupted to after the Han dynasty.

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *z(j)əj (“little; small; tiny”) (STEDT); cognate with Jingpho zi (“small”), Tibetan ཟི (zi, “small”), Burmese သေး (se:, “small”).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xì (xi⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧˋ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): sai³

(Taishan, Wiktionary): lhai¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): se

(Hailu, HRS): se^ˇ

(Meixian, Guangdong): sê⁴
Eastern Min (BUC): sá̤
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): se⁴
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): sòe / sè / sère

(Teochew, Peng'im): soi³
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵shi

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xì
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sì
  - Wade–Giles: hsi⁴
  - Yale: syì
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shih
  - Palladius: си (si)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: sai³
  - Yale: sai
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sai³
  - Guangdong Romanization: sei³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐi̯³³/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lhai¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬai³³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: se
  - Hakka Romanization System: se
  - Hagfa Pinyim: se⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /se⁵⁵/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: se^ˇ
  - Sinological IPA: /se¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: sê⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /se⁵³/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: sá̤
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɑ²¹³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian, Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: se⁴
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: sa̤̍
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬe⁴²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Lukang, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu, Philippines, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sòe
  - Tâi-lô: suè
  - Phofsit Daibuun: soex
  - IPA (Taipei): /sue¹¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Singapore): /sue²¹/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Philippines): /sue⁴¹/
  - IPA (Lukang): /sue³¹/
  - IPA (Kinmen): /sue¹²/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Yilan, Tainan, Taichung)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sè
  - Tâi-lô: sè
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sex
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /se⁴¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Yilan, Tainan): /se²¹/
- (Hokkien: Sanxia)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sère
  - Tâi-lô: serè

Note:

Xiamen, Quanzhou:
- sòe - vernacular;
- sè - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: soi³
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sòi
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /soi²¹³/

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁵shi
  - MiniDict: shi^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²xi
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɕi³⁴/

Middle Chinese: sejH

Rime
Character	細
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	齊 (39)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	IV
Fanqie	蘇計切
Baxter	sejH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/sei^H/
Pan Wuyun	/sei^H/
Shao Rongfen	/sɛi^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sɛj^H/
Li Rong	/sei^H/
Wang Li	/siei^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/siei^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sai³

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[s]ˤe(k)-s/

(Zhengzhang): /*snɯːls/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	細
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xì
Middle Chinese	‹ sej^H ›
Old Chinese	/*[s]ˁe(k)-s/
English	small, minute
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	細
Reading #	1/1
No.	13834
Phonetic component	囟
Rime group	微
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	細
Old Chinese	/*snɯːls/

Definitions

細

(literary or Cantonese, Gan, Hakka, Min) small; tiny; little
Antonym: 大

點解會咁細嘅？ [Cantonese, trad.]
点解会咁细嘅？ [Cantonese, simp.]
dim² gaai² wui⁵ gam³ sai³ ge²? [Jyutping]
Why is it so small?
thin; slender
Antonym: 粗 (cū)

細線／细线 ― xì xiàn ― thin string
fine; delicate; exquisite
Antonym: 粗 (cū)

細沙／细沙 ― xì shā ― fine sand
careful; detailed; meticulous
slowly; carefully; thoroughly; detailedly
細看／细看 ― xìkàn ― to carefully examine
trifling; trivial; unimportant
(of one's voice) soft
frugal; sparing
(literary or Cantonese, Hakka, Min) young; little
Antonym: 大

你仲細咩！／你仲细咩！ [Cantonese] ― nei⁵ zung⁶ sai³ me¹! [Jyutping] ― [Do you think that] you're still a child?
(Cantonese) to be younger than
Antonym: 大

細佢幾十年／细佢几十年 [Cantonese] ― sai³ keoi⁵ gei² sap⁶ nin⁴ [Jyutping] ― younger than them by a couple decades
(Hokkien) concubine

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 小 (“small”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		小
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	小
	Taiwan	小
	Harbin	小
	Malaysia	小
	Singapore	小
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	小
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	小
Central Plains Mandarin	Wanrong	小
	Xi'an	小, 碎
	Xining	小, 尕
	Xuzhou	小
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	小
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	小, 尕
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	小
	Wuhan	小
	Guiyang	小
	Guilin	小
	Liuzhou	小
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	小
	Yangzhou	小
	Hefei	小
Cantonese	Guangzhou	細
	Hong Kong	細
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	細
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	細
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	細
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	細
	Macau	細
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	細
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	細
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	細
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	細
	Foshan	細
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	細
	Foshan (Shunde)	細
	Foshan (Sanshui)	細
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	細
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	細
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	細
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	細
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	細
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	細
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	細
	Taishan	細
	Kaiping (Chikan)	細
	Enping (Niujiang)	細
	Heshan (Yayao)	細
	Dongguan	細
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	細
	Qingyuan	細
	Fogang	細
	Yingde (Hanguang)	細
	Yangshan	細
	Lianzhou (Qingshui; Sihui)	細
	Shaoguan	細
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	細
	Renhua	細
	Lechang	細
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	細
	Sihui	細
	Guangning	細
	Deqing	細
	Huaiji	細
	Yunfu	細
	Xinxing	細
	Luoding	細
	Yunan (Pingtai)	細
	Yangjiang	細
	Xinyi	細
	Maoming (Xinpo)	細
	Lianjiang	細
	Nanning	細
	Wuzhou	細, 𱒃
	Yulin	𱒃
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	𱒃
	Hepu (Shatian)	𱒃
	Guiping	細, 小
	Guiping (Mule)	𱒃
	Pingnan	細
	Mengshan (Xihe)	細
	Guigang (Gangcheng)	細
	Guigang (Nanjiang)	細
	Guigang (Pingdong)	細
	Beiliu (Tangliao)	細
	Baise	細
Bobai	細
Lingshan	細
Pubei	細
Qinzhou	細
Qinzhou (Xiniujiao)	𱒃
Beihai	細
Beihai (Nankang)	細
Beihai (Yingpan)	𱒃
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	細
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	細, 小
Ningming	細
Hengzhou	細
Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	細
Danzhou	細
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	細
Singapore (Guangfu)	細
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	細
Móng Cái	細
Gan	Nanchang	細, 小
	Lichuan	細, 小
	Pingxiang	細, 小
Hakka	Meixian	細, 小
	Xingning	細
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	細
	Huiyang	細
	Huidong (Daling)	細
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	細
	Boluo (Bendihua)	細
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	細
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	小
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	細
	Longchuan (Tuocheng; Bendihua)	細
	Heping (Linzhai; Bendihua)	細
	Lianping (Longjie; Bendihua)	細
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	細
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	細
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	細
	Jiexi	細
	Changting	細
	Wuping	細
	Wuping (Pingyu)	細
	Liancheng	細
	Ninghua	小
	Yudu	細
	Ruijin	細
	Shicheng	細
	Shangyou (Shexi)	細
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	細
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	細
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	細
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	細
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	細
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	細
	Hong Kong	細
	Beiliu (Tang'an)	小
	Mashan (Pianlian)	細
	Senai (Huiyang)	細
Huizhou	Jixi	小
Jin	Taiyuan	小
Northern Min	Jian'ou	小
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	嫩, 細
	Fuzhou (Changle)	嫩
	Fuqing	嫩
	Yongtai	嫩
	Gutian	嫩
	Fu'an	嫩
	Ningde	嫩
	Shouning	嫩
	Zhouning	細
	Fuding	嫩, 細
	Matsu	嫩
Southern Min	Xiamen	細
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	細
	Quanzhou	細
	Jinjiang	細
	Nan'an	細
	Hui'an	細
	Anxi	細
	Yongchun	細
	Dehua	細
	Zhangzhou	細
	Zhangzhou (Longhai)	細
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	細
	Hua'an	細
	Nanjing	細
	Pinghe	細
	Zhangpu	細
	Yunxiao	細
	Zhao'an	細
	Dongshan	細
	Taipei	小, 細
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	小, 細
	Kaohsiung	小, 細
	Yilan	小, 細
	Changhua (Lukang)	小, 細
	Taichung	小, 細
	Tainan	小, 細
	Hsinchu	小, 細
	Kinmen	小
	Penghu (Magong)	小
	Penang (Hokkien)	細
	Singapore (Hokkien)	細
	Manila (Hokkien)	細
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	細
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	小
	Chaozhou	細
	Shantou	細
	Shantou (Chenghai)	細
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	細
	Jieyang	細
	Haifeng	細
	Bangkok (Teochew)	細
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	細
	Singapore (Teochew)	細
	Batam (Teochew)	細
	Pontianak (Teochew)	細
	Leizhou	細
	Wenchang	細, 孧
	Haikou	細, 孧
	Qionghai	孧
	Singapore (Hainanese)	孧, 細
Puxian Min	Putian	細
Puxian Min	Xianyou	細
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	細
	Nanning (Shajing)	細
	Binyang (Xinqiao)	細
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Chaoyang)	細
	Guilin (Zhuyuan)	細
	Lingchuan (Tanxia)	細
Wu	Shanghai	小
	Shanghai (Chongming)	小
	Suzhou	小
	Danyang	小
	Hangzhou	小
	Ningbo	小
	Wenzhou	小, 瑣
	Lishui	細
	Jinyun	巧
	Jinhua	小
Xiang	Changsha	細, 小
	Loudi	小
	Shuangfeng	細
	Quanzhou	小
	Guanyang (Wenshi)	小

Dialectal synonyms of 細 (“thin; fine; slender”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		細
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		細
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	細
	Taiwan	細
	Singapore	細
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	細
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	細
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	細
Southwestern Mandarin	Wuhan	細
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	細
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	細
Cantonese	Guangzhou	幼
	Hong Kong	幼
	Yangjiang	細, 嫩
	Singapore (Guangfu)	幼
Gan	Nanchang	細
Hakka	Meixian	幼, 細
Jin	Taiyuan	細
Northern Min	Jian'ou	細
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	杪, 幼
Southern Min	Xiamen	幼
	Tainan	幼
	Penang (Hokkien)	幼
	Singapore (Hokkien)	幼
	Manila (Hokkien)	幼
	Chaozhou	幼, 細
	Wenchang	幼
	Haikou	幼
Wu	Suzhou	細
Wu	Wenzhou	細
Xiang	Changsha	細
Xiang	Shuangfeng	細

Antonyms

(antonym(s) of “small”): 大 (dà, “large”)
(antonym(s) of “young”): 大 (dà, “grown up”)
(antonym(s) of “fine”): 粗 (cū, “coarse”)

Compounds

References

“細”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
莆田市荔城区档案馆 [Putian City Licheng District Archives], editor (2022), “细”, in 莆仙方言文读字汇 [Puxian Dialect Literary Reading Dictionary] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), page 254.

Japanese

Kanji

細

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

thin, fine
slender

Readings

Go-on: さい (sai, Jōyō)
Kan-on: せい (sei)
Kun: ほそい (hosoi, 細い, Jōyō)、こまかい (komakai, 細かい, Jōyō)、ささやか (sasayaka, 細やか)、ほそる (hosoru, 細る, Jōyō)、こまか (komaka, 細か, Jōyō)、くわしい (kuwashii, 細しい)

Compounds

細(さざれ)石(いし) (sazareishi): small stone
細(さい)菌(きん) (saikin): bacterium, germ
細(さい)部(ぶ) (saibu): details, minor
細(さい)分(ぶん) (saibun): divide into small portions
細(さい)分(ぶん)化(か) (saibunka): fragmentation
細(さい)胞(ぼう) (saibō): cell
細(さい)目(もく) (saimoku): details
繊(せん)細(さい) (sensai): delicate, sensitive

Etymology

Kanji in this term
細
ささ Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Kanji in this term
細
さざ Grade: 2
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 細 – see the following entry.

【小ささ】1

[prefix] attached to certain nouns to mean:

[prefix] small

[prefix] fine

[prefix] slight

Alternative spellings
些些, さざ

(This term, 細, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja

細 (eumhun 가늘 세 (ganeul se))

hanja form^? of 세 (“thin”)

Vietnamese

Chữ Hán

細: Hán Việt readings: tế

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