简要

• Pinyin: jiǎn yào
• Hanzi breakdown: 简 = 竹 (bamboo) + 间 — simple; 要 = 西 (west, originally depicting waist) + 女 (woman) — essential, important

Meaning

Brief and to the point; concise and essential. Containing only the most important information.

Often used to describe summaries, reports, or explanations that are both brief and capture the essential points. Emphasizes retaining key information while being concise. Common in professional and academic contexts.

Examples

1. 请简要介绍一下你的项目背景和核心创新点。 Please briefly introduce your project background and core innovations.
2. 会议开始前，秘书简要汇报了上周的工作进展。 Before the meeting started, the secretary briefly reported on last week's work progress.
3. 这份简要说明涵盖了合同的所有关键条款。 This brief explanation covers all the key terms of the contract.

Usage Guide

Context: business, academic, reporting

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请简要说明情况。(Please briefly explain the situation.)
• 我做一个简要的总结。(Let me give a brief summary.)

Don't Say

• 在需要详细解释的场合只给简要回答 (Don't give only a 简要 response when detailed explanation is needed — assess whether brevity is appropriate)

Origin & History

Composed of 简 (simple; brief) + 要 (essential; important). Together they mean brief yet containing the essentials.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated speakers