(jiǎn dān) - simple, easy; simple-minded in Mandarin
jiǎndānTraditional: 簡單
Translation
simple, easy; simple-minded
Word origin
简单 means 'simple': 简 (jiǎn, 'simple, bamboo slip', simplified from 簡, with 竹 the bamboo radical) plus 单 (dān, 'single', simplified from 單). Together: plain and single, hence uncomplicated.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 简 (jiǎn, simple: 竹 bamboo + 间 phonetic) + 单 (dān, single)
Stroke order
简
单
Examples
。
This problem is very simple.
，。
His life is very simple; he doesn't ask for much.
，。
Easier said than done.
。
The answer is not that simple.
简单 (jiǎn dān) means simple or easy. 简 means brief or concise and 单 means single or uncomplex. Together they describe something that is not complicated. Like English simple, 简单 can mean straightforward (简单的问题, a simple question), plain or unadorned (简单的生活, a simple life), or even simple-minded (他有点简单, he is a bit naive). It contrasts with 复杂 (fù zá, complicated). 说起来简单 (easy to say) is a very common setup for contrast.
Used in
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