简单

• Pinyin: jiǎn dān
• Hanzi breakdown: 简 = 竹 (bamboo) + 间 (space between) — bamboo strips with space, suggesting brevity; 单 = 口 (mouth) + 十 (ten) — a single unit, alone

Meaning

Simple; easy; uncomplicated. Describes something that is not complex, not difficult, or that requires little effort or thought.

简单 can describe tasks, problems, people, or language. Common collocations include 很简单 (very simple), 简单来说 (to put it simply), 简单明了 (simple and clear). It can also describe a person as plain or unsophisticated, or describe food/living conditions as basic.

Examples

1. 这道题很简单，大部分同学都答对了。 This question is very simple — most students answered it correctly.
2. 她的生活方式很简单，不喜欢复杂的东西。 Her lifestyle is very simple; she doesn't like complicated things.
3. 老师用简单的语言解释了这个概念。 The teacher explained the concept using simple language.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, education, work, personal

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 这个方法很简单，你一学就会。(This method is very simple — you'll pick it up right away.)
• 简单来说，我们明天出发。(Simply put, we leave tomorrow.)

Don't Say

• 他是个简单的人，所以很无聊。(Don't use 简单 to mean 'boring' — it means plain or unpretentious, not dull. Use 无聊 for boring.)

Origin & History

Compound of 简 (simple, brief; originally bamboo slips used for writing) and 单 (single, alone, simple). Together they convey the idea of something reduced to its basics — unelaborated and uncomplicated.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal