玄

• 拼音: xuán
• 汉字拆解: 玄 = pictograph of coiled/twisted dark thread (deep, mysterious)

含义

Mysterious; profound; abstruse; dark. Describes something deep, unfathomable, or metaphysically complex — often with a sense of the unknowable.

Has classical roots in Taoist philosophy, where 玄 represents the deep, unknowable essence of the universe. In modern colloquial use, can mean 'unreliable' or 'uncertain' (这事儿有点玄 — this seems dicey/uncertain). A rich character spanning both philosophical and colloquial registers.

例句

1. 他的回答玄而又玄，众人听后面面相觑，谁也说不清楚他究竟是什么意思。
2. 道家思想中，玄之又玄被认为是描述宇宙本质最深刻的表达之一。
3. 这件事能不能成功，他心里也有点玄，毕竟变数太多，谁都没有把握。

用法指南

语境: philosophy, daily life, colloquial

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 这套理论对外行人来说未免太玄，需要循序渐进地引导才能让人真正理解其中的深意。(This set of theories is far too abstruse for non-specialists; one needs to guide people step by step before they can truly grasp its deeper meaning.)
• 他的回答听起来很玄，我估计他自己也拿不定主意，只是不肯承认而已。(His answer sounds rather dubious to me — I suspect he is not sure himself but simply will not admit it.)

错误说法

• 天气今天很玄 — 玄 is not used to describe weather conditions; for unpredictable or strange weather use 奇怪 or 变幻莫测; 玄 describes philosophical depth or doubtful/uncertain situations, not atmospheric phenomena

起源与历史

玄 — pictograph of twisted silk thread, representing the deep, dark, unknowable; fundamental Taoist concept

文化背景

时代: Classical to Modern

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal