稀

• Pinyin: xī
• Hanzi breakdown: 稀 = 禾 (grain, crop) + 希 (rare, scarce — cloth with few threads, indicating scarcity)

Meaning

Sparse; thin; dilute; rare. Describes low density, low concentration, or low frequency of occurrence.

Used for physical sparseness (sparse hair, thin soup), low population density, or rarity. Contrasts with 密 (dense) and 浓 (thick/concentrated). Common in scientific, agricultural, and everyday contexts.

Examples

1. 这片高原地区人口稀少，方圆数百公里内几乎见不到人烟。 This plateau region is sparsely populated; for hundreds of miles you can hardly see any sign of human habitation.
2. 他年过五十后发现头发越来越稀，不得不寻求专业治疗。 After he turned fifty, he noticed his hair getting thinner and thinner and had to seek professional treatment.
3. 将糯米粉与水按照一定比例调成稀浆，再下锅慢煎成薄饼。 Mix glutinous rice flour with water in the right ratio to make a thin batter, then pan-fry it slowly into crepes.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, agriculture, science, description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这里地处内陆高原，降水稀少，年均不足50毫米，农业只能靠地下水灌溉维持。(Located on an inland plateau, this area has very sparse rainfall, with an annual average of less than 50 millimetres, so agriculture can only be maintained by groundwater irrigation.)
• 术后初期，病人应先吃稀粥、米汤等易消化流质，待胃肠功能恢复后再恢复正常饮食。(In the early post-op stage, patients should start with thin congee, rice water, and other easy-to-digest liquids, then return to a normal diet after gut function recovers.)

Don't Say

• 稀 alone to mean 'rare' or 'uncommon' as in 稀有 — while 稀 can imply rarity through sparseness, for the meaning 'rare/precious' in formal contexts use 稀有 or 罕见; plain 稀 primarily conveys physical thinness or sparseness rather than preciousness

Origin & History

稀 = 禾 + 希 (grain + rare/scarce) — originally referred to grain that was sparse or thin in growth; extended to mean thinly spread or dilute

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal