zi6 nyun6稚嫩
Jyutpingzi6 nyun6
Yalejih nyuhn
Definition
Young, delicate, or tender; newly grown and fragile.
neutraldescriptionsnature
How it's used
Describes something that is in its early stages of development or physically soft and undeveloped. While it can apply to literal plants or young animals, it is frequently used metaphorically to describe someone's lack of experience or a naive, fresh appearance. It carries a slightly more literary or descriptive tone than everyday adjectives like 嫩.
Examples
He still looks very young and tender, like he just graduated.
These delicate, nascent petals will break if you touch them.
Related words
Common phrases
a young and tender face
a young, immature voice
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe food, as 嫩 is the standard term for tender meat or vegetables. Using 稚嫩 for food sounds unnatural and overly poetic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
