窄

• Pinyin: zhǎi
• Hanzi breakdown: 窄 = 穴 (cave) + 乍 (suddenly) — a confined space

Meaning

Narrow; tight; cramped. Having little width or limited space.

Opposite of 宽 (wide). Used for physical spaces: 窄路 (narrow road), 窄门 (narrow door). Figuratively: 心眼窄 (narrow-minded), 眼界窄 (limited perspective). Also for clothing: 这件衣服太窄了 (this garment is too tight).

Examples

1. 这条巷子太窄，汽车根本无法通行。 This alley is too narrow for cars to pass through at all.
2. 他心眼太窄，总是因为小事与人争吵。 He’s so narrow-minded that he argues with people over the smallest things.
3. 经济困难时期，家里的日子过得很窄。 During the tough economic times, the family barely scraped by.

Usage Guide

Context: description, space, personality

Tone: neutral/negative

Do Say

• 山路又窄又弯，司机必须格外小心驾驶。(The mountain road is narrow and winding, so the driver must be extra careful.)
• 不要心眼太窄，要学会包容不同的意见。(Don't be so narrow-minded — learn to accept different opinions.)

Don't Say

• 窄的人 — for describing narrow-minded people, say 心胸狭窄的人 or 小气的人, not 窄的人

Origin & History

Radical 穴 (cave/hole) + 乍 (suddenly) — a suddenly narrow space

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal