狭窄

• Pinyin: xiá zhǎi
• Hanzi breakdown: 狭 = 犭+ 夹 (hemmed in — narrow); 窄 = 穴 + 乍 (hole/cave + sudden — a tight, constricted space)

Meaning

Narrow; constricted. Describes a space or passage that is limited in width.

Used for roads, corridors, rivers, and any space that lacks width. Also used figuratively for a limited range of options or a constricted perspective. Contrasts with 宽阔 (wide, expansive).

Examples

1. 这条狭窄的山路仅容一辆车通行，会车时需要格外小心。 This narrow mountain road can only fit one car, so you need to be extra careful when passing oncoming traffic.
2. 河道日益狭窄，严重影响了行洪能力和周边农田的灌溉。 The river channel has been getting narrower, severely affecting flood capacity and irrigation for nearby farmland.
3. 他的人生选择十分狭窄，缺乏教育机会使他难以突破现有的处境。 His choices in life are extremely limited; a lack of educational opportunities makes it hard for him to break out of his current situation.

Usage Guide

Context: geography, urban planning, transport, social mobility

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这些宽度不足四米的狭窄街道本为步行设计，既难承受车流，又不能轻易拓宽，平衡交通与保护是难题。(These narrow streets, less than four metres wide, were originally designed for pedestrians, so they cannot handle heavy traffic and cannot be widened easily; balancing transport and preservation is difficult.)
• 农村青年进城后常被困在狭窄的职业通道里，只能做低端体力岗位，难以进入技术或管理序列。(After moving to the city, rural young people are often trapped in narrow career paths, limited to low-end manual jobs and struggling to enter technical or management tracks.)

Don't Say

• 狭窄 for things that are small or cramped in a general sense — it specifically refers to limited width; use 狭小 when both width and size are limited, and 拥挤 when the issue is congestion or crowding rather than physical narrowness

Origin & History

狭 (narrow — hemmed in) + 窄 (narrow, tight — 穴 + 乍, cave/hole + suddenly = a tight squeeze) — both characters mean narrow, emphasising limited width

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal