Dictionary › 软

软

ruǎn

HSK 4 Character Traditional 軟

What 软 means

1. soft
2. flexible

Other readings

软 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• ruǎnvariant of {软|ruǎn}

Example sentences

• 这很软。
  That's soft.
• 他是个软蛋。
  He is a coward.
• 请更新软体。
  Update your software.
• 更新我的软体。
  Update my software.
• 软件又闪退了。
  The app crashed again.
• 软件又崩溃了。
  The app crashed again.

Words starting with 软

• 软件ruǎn jiànsoftware
• 软弱ruǎn ruòweak; feeble; flabby
• 软禁ruǎn jìnto place under house arrest
• 软绵绵ruǎn mián miánsoft; velvety; flabby
• 软盘ruǎn pánfloppy disk
• 软化ruǎn huàto soften
• 软体ruǎn tǐ(of an animal) soft-bodied; (Taiwan) software
• 软硬兼施ruǎn yìng jiān shīuse both carrot and stick; use gentle methods and force; an iron hand in a velvet glove
• 软硬件ruǎn yìng jiànsoftware and hardware
• 软卧ruǎn wòsoft sleeper (a type of sleeper train ticket class with a softer bunk)
• 软件包ruǎn jiàn bāosoftware package
• 软骨ruǎn gǔcartilage
• 软包ruǎn bāosoft (bread) roll
• 软呢ruǎn nísoft, pliable wool fabric
• 软和ruǎn huo(colloquial) pleasantly soft; comfy; (of words) gentle
• 软席ruǎn xísoft seat (= first class in PRC trains)
• 软文ruǎn wénadvertorial
• 软水ruǎn shuǐsoft water (cf. 硬水
• 软片ruǎn piàn(photographic) film
• 软管ruǎn guǎnhose; flexible tube
• 软实力ruǎn shí lìsoft power (in international relations)
• 软组织ruǎn zǔ zhīsoft tissue
• 软足类ruǎn zú lèi(colloquial) inkfish; octopus, squid and cuttlefish
• 软体业ruǎn tǐ yèthe software industry

Words containing 软

• 微软Wēi ruǎnMicrosoft Corporation
• 柔软róu ruǎnsoft
• 松软sōng ruǎnflexible; not rigid; spongy
• 发软fā ruǎnto weaken; to go soft (at the knees)
• 心软xīn ruǎnto be softhearted; to be tenderhearted; to be kindhearted
• 疲软pí ruǎntired and feeble
• 手软shǒu ruǎnto be lenient; to relent; to be reluctant to make a hard decision
• 瘫软tān ruǎnlimp; weak
• 微软公司Wēi ruǎn Gōng sīMicrosoft Corporation
• 细软xì ruǎnfine and soft; valuables
• 服软fú ruǎnto admit defeat; to give in; to acknowledge a mistake
• 变软biàn ruǎnto soften
• 到手软dào shǒu ruǎn(do a manual task) until one's hands go limp with exhaustion
• 杀软shā ruǎnantivirus software; abbr. for 杀毒软件
• 免费软件miǎn fèi ruǎn jiànfreeware
• 共享软体gòng xiǎng ruǎn tǐshareware
• 勒索软件lè suǒ ruǎn jiànransomware (computing)
• 应用软件yìng yòng ruǎn jiànapplication software
• 应用软体yìng yòng ruǎn tǐ(Taiwan) application software
• 教学软体jiào xué ruǎn tǐ(Taiwan) educational software; courseware
• 自由软件zì yóu ruǎn jiànfree software (i.e. software for which sharing, modification etc is permitted)
• 财务软件cái wù ruǎn jiànfinancial software; accounting software
• 开源软件kāi yuán ruǎn jiànopen-source software
• 防毒软件fáng dú ruǎn jiànanti-virus software

Characters built on 欠

These share the phonetic component 欠 (qiàn), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 款kuǎnsection; paragraph; funds
• 欢huānjoyous; happy; pleased

Characters that look like 软

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 欧ōuohm (abbr. for 欧姆; euro (abbr. for 欧元; used in transliteration
• 纹wénline; trace; mark; pattern; grain (of wood etc); to tattoo
• 玫méi(fine jade); used in 玫瑰
• 砍kǎnto chop; to cut down; to throw sth at sb
• 钦qīnto respect; to admire; to venerate
• 狡jiǎocrafty; cunning; sly

Sounds the same

Read ruǎn, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 阮ruan, a four-stringed Chinese lute
• 朊protein
• 瓀opaque; white quartz
• 碝jade-like stone
• 緛(archaic) to shorten
• 耎old variant of 软
• 礝old variant of 碝