軟

See also: 软 and 輭

軟 U+8EDF, 軟 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8EDF ← 軞 [U+8EDE] CJK Unified Ideographs 軠 → [U+8EE0]

Translingual

Han character

軟 (Kangxi radical 159, 車+4, 11 strokes, cangjie input 十十弓人 (JJNO), four-corner 5708₂, composition ⿰車欠)

Derived characters

• 𫣑, 㜛, 𢕢, 𣼴, 𤡋, 𥊡, 𨅄, 𨉻, 𬝵, 簐, 𫺸

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1240, character 26
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 38213
• Dae Jaweon: page 1716, character 21
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3518, character 15
• Unihan data for U+8EDF

Chinese

trad.		軟
simp.		软
alternative forms		輭／软 耎

Glyph origin

	Old Chinese
陾	*njɯ, *noːʔ
腝	*nuːs, *njonʔ, *nuːns
堧	*noːls, *njon
稬	*noːls, *noːnʔ, *noːns
愞	*noːls, *noːns, *njonʔ
煗	*noːnʔ
餪	*noːnʔ
渜	*noːnʔ, *noːns
偄	*noːns, *njonʔ
瑌	*njon, *njonʔ
軟	*njonʔ
輭	*njonʔ
蝡	*njonʔ, *njunʔ
碝	*njonʔ
耎	*njonʔ
緛	*njonʔ
媆	*nuːns

Characters in the same phonetic series (耎) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *njonʔ) : semantic 車 + phonetic 耎 (OC *njonʔ). 耎 turned into 欠 over time due to a popular variant.

The meaning of the radical of the chariot is not fully clear. It could be linked to the synonym 柔, which indicates the wood soft enough to be cut, or it could indicate the concept of being tired and weak after dragging a heavy chariot, hence "soft"; the right component could add part of the meaning, since it originally depicts a man under the rain, hence getting soaked (perhaps while dragging a heavy chariot). Today's component 欠 depicts a man kneeling with an open mouth, perhaps while breathing due to exhaustion.

Etymology

Probably cognate with 柔 (OC *mlju, “soft”), see there for more (STEDT).

Pronunciation

Variety	Location	edit 軟
Mandarin	Beijing	/ʐuan²¹⁴/
	Harbin	/ʐuan²¹³/
	Tianjin	/yan¹³/ /ʐuan¹³/
	Jinan	/luã⁵⁵/
	Qingdao	/yã⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/ʐuan⁵³/
	Xi'an	/vã⁵³/
	Xining	/uã⁵³/
	Yinchuan	/ʐuan⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/vɛ̃n⁴⁴²/
	Ürümqi	/ʐuan⁵¹/ /van⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/yɛn⁴²/
	Chengdu	/zuan⁵³/
	Guiyang	/zuan⁴²/
	Kunming	/ʐuã̠⁵³/
	Nanjing	/ʐuaŋ²¹²/
	Hefei	/ʐʊ̃²⁴/ /ʐən²⁴/
Jin	Taiyuan	/zuæ̃⁵³/
	Pingyao	/nzuɑŋ⁵³/
	Hohhot	/ʐuæ̃⁵³/
Wu	Shanghai	/ȵyø²³/
	Suzhou	/ŋø³¹/
	Hangzhou	/nuõ⁵³/
	Wenzhou	/ȵy³⁵/
Hui	Shexian	/ne³⁵/
	Tunxi	/ȵyɛ²⁴/
Xiang	Changsha	/yẽ⁴¹/
	Xiangtan	/ȵyẽ⁴²/
Gan	Nanchang	/ȵyɵn²¹³/
Hakka	Meixian	/ŋion⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/ŋion²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/jyn²³/
	Nanning	/yn²⁴/
	Hong Kong	/jyn¹³/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/luan⁵³/ /nŋ̍⁵³/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/nuoŋ³²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/nuiŋ²¹/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/nɯŋ⁵³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/nui²¹³/

Rime
Character	軟
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	日 (38)
Final (韻)	仙 (78)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	而兖切
Baxter	nywenX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ȵiuᴇnX/
Pan Wuyun	/ȵʷiɛnX/
Shao Rongfen	/ȵʑjuænX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ȵwianX/
Li Rong	/ȵiuɛnX/
Wang Li	/ȵʑĭwɛnX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ȵʑi̯wɛnX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ruǎn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyun5

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	軟
Reading #	1/1
No.	10902
Phonetic component	耎
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	輭
Old Chinese	/*njonʔ/
Notes	俗輭字，集韻正體從㞋聲

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): ruǎn (ruan³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄨㄢˇ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): jyun⁵

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ngun¹

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ngiôn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ngion¹

• Northern Min (KCR): nṳ̌ing
• Eastern Min (BUC): niōng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): loán / nńg / núi

  (Teochew, Peng'im): neng²

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶gnioe

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ruǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄨㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ruǎn
    • Wade–Giles: juan³
    • Yale: rwǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: roan
    • Palladius: жуань (žuanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐu̯än²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jyun⁵
    • Yale: yúhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jyn⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: yun⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyːn¹³/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ngun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵑɡun³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngiôn
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngion^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngion¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋi̯on²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ngion¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋiɔn⁴⁴/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: nṳ̌ing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nyiŋ²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: niōng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nˡuoŋ³³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: loán
    • Tâi-lô: luán
    • Phofsit Daibuun: loarn
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /luan⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /luan⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /luan⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Jinjiang, Philippines, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nńg
    • Tâi-lô: nńg
    • Phofsit Daibuun: nngr
    • IPA (Singapore): /nŋ̍⁴²/
    • IPA (Taipei, Xiamen): /nŋ̍⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /nŋ̍⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /nŋ̍⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Yilan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: núi
    • Tâi-lô: nuí
    • Phofsit Daibuun: nuie
    • IPA (Zhangzhou, Yilan): /nuĩ⁵³/

Note:

• loán - literary;
• nńg/núi - vernacular (“soft; weak; easily moved; relaxed”).

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: neng²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: nṳ́ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nɯŋ⁵²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶gnioe
    • MiniDict: nyoe^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³nyyoe
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /n̠ʲyø²³/

---

• Dialectal data

---

• Middle Chinese: nywenX

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*njonʔ/

Definitions

軟

1. soft; flexible; pliable

   貓的毛摸上去很軟 [MSC, trad.]
   猫的毛摸上去很软 [MSC, simp.]

   māo de máo mō shàngqù hěn ruǎn [Pinyin]

   A cat's fur is soft to the touch.

   泥很軟，我們的腳都陷進去了。 [MSC, trad.]
   泥很软，我们的脚都陷进去了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Ní hěn ruǎn, wǒmen de jiǎo dōu xiàn jìnqù le. [Pinyin]

   The mud was soft and our feet sank in.

2. soft; gentle; mild; relaxed

   他的態度軟了下來。 [MSC, trad.]
   他的态度软了下来。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā de tàidù ruǎn le xiàlái. [Pinyin]

   His attitude has softened.

   他的聲音很軟。／他的声音很软。  ―  Tā de shēngyīn hěn ruǎn.  ―  His voice is very gentle.

3. weak; feeble

   她的兩腿發軟。／她的两腿发软。  ―  Tā de liǎng tuǐ fā ruǎn.  ―  Her legs felt weak.

4. (Cantonese, Hokkien) easily moved and swayed; empathic; unable to uphold the initial opinion

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “soft”): 硬 (yìng)

Compounds

• 免費軟體 / 免费软体 (miǎnfèi ruǎntǐ)
• 兩腿發軟 / 两腿发软
• 公益軟體 / 公益软体
• 共享軟體 / 共享软体 (gòngxiǎng ruǎntǐ)
• 力軟筋麻 / 力软筋麻
• 卡片軟體 / 卡片软体
• 圖控軟體 / 图控软体
• 套裝軟體 / 套装软体 (tàozhuāng ruǎntǐ)
• 小軟兒 / 小软儿
• 心慈面軟 / 心慈面软
• 心活面軟 / 心活面软
• 心軟 / 心软 (xīnruǎn)
• 怕硬欺軟 / 怕硬欺软
• 應用軟體 / 应用软体
• 手軟 / 手软 (shǒuruǎn)
• 手麻腳軟 / 手麻脚软
• 打軟腿兒 / 打软腿儿
• 會厭軟骨 / 会厌软骨
• 會咽軟骨 / 会咽软骨
• 服軟 / 服软 (fúruǎn)
• 柔軟 / 柔软 (róuruǎn)
• 柔軟體操 / 柔软体操
• 欺軟怕硬 / 欺软怕硬 (qīruǎnpàyìng)
• 渾身發軟 / 浑身发软
• 溫香軟玉 / 温香软玉
• 玉軟花柔 / 玉软花柔
• 玉軟香溫 / 玉软香温
• 環狀軟骨 / 环状软骨 (huánzhuàng ruǎngǔ)
• 甜言軟語 / 甜言软语
• 甲狀軟骨 / 甲状软骨 (jiǎzhuàng ruǎngǔ)
• 疲軟 / 疲软 (píruǎn)
• 痠軟 / 痠软 (suānruǎn)
• 癱軟 / 瘫软 (tānruǎn)
• 發軟 / 发软
• 筋疲力軟 / 筋疲力软
• 系統軟體 / 系统软体
• 細軟 / 细软 (xìruǎn)
• 綿軟 / 绵软 (miánruǎn)
• 罷軟 / 罢软
• 耳朵軟 / 耳朵软 (ěrduoruǎn)
• 耳根軟 / 耳根软 (ěrgēnruǎn)
• 耳軟 / 耳软
• 耳軟心活 / 耳软心活
• 臉軟 / 脸软
• 臉軟心慈 / 脸软心慈
• 踩軟索 / 踩软索
• 軟不叮噹 / 软不叮当
• 軟人才 / 软人才
• 軟件 / 软件 (ruǎnjiàn)
• 軟兀剌 / 软兀剌
• 軟刀子 / 软刀子
• 軟包裝 / 软包装
• 軟化 / 软化 (ruǎnhuà)
• 軟半 / 软半
• 軟協 / 软协
• 軟口湯 / 软口汤
• 軟和 / 软和 (ruǎnhuo)
• 軟善 / 软善
• 軟嘴塌舌 / 软嘴塌舌
• 軟困 / 软困
• 軟土深掘 / 软土深掘
• 軟壁 / 软壁
• 軟專家 / 软专家
• 軟席 / 软席 (ruǎnxí)
• 軟床 / 软床
• 軟底子 / 软底子
• 軟式 / 软式 (ruǎnshì)
• 軟式棒球 / 软式棒球
• 軟弱 / 软弱 (ruǎnruò)
• 軟弱無力 / 软弱无力
• 軟心腸 / 软心肠
• 軟性 / 软性 (ruǎnxìng)
• 軟怯怯 / 软怯怯
• 軟性新聞 / 软性新闻
• 軟戰 / 软战
• 軟技術 / 软技术
• 軟文學 / 软文学
• 軟木 / 软木 (ruǎnmù)
• 軟木塞 / 软木塞 (ruǎnmùsāi)
• 軟木畫 / 软木画
• 軟材 / 软材
• 軟枝黃蟬 / 软枝黄蝉
• 軟柔柔 / 软柔柔
• 軟梯 / 软梯
• 軟款 / 软款
• 軟殼雞蛋 / 软壳鸡蛋
• 軟毫 / 软毫
• 軟水 / 软水 (ruǎnshuǐ)
• 軟求 / 软求
• 軟活 / 软活
• 軟流圈 / 软流圈
• 軟熟 / 软熟 (ruǎnshú)
• 軟片 / 软片 (ruǎnpiàn)
• 軟玉 / 软玉 (ruǎnyù)
• 軟玉嬌香 / 软玉娇香
• 軟玉溫香 / 软玉温香
• 軟硬不吃 / 软硬不吃
• 軟硬兼施 / 软硬兼施 (ruǎn-yìng jiānshī)
• 軟碟 / 软碟 (ruǎndié)
• 軟磨兒 / 软磨儿
• 軟禁 / 软禁 (ruǎnjìn)
• 軟科學 / 软科学 (ruǎnkēxué)
• 軟糖 / 软糖 (ruǎntáng)
• 軟紅 / 软红
• 軟綿綿 / 软绵绵 (ruǎnmiánmián)
• 軟繩 / 软绳
• 軟罐頭 / 软罐头
• 軟耳朵 / 软耳朵
• 軟肥皂 / 软肥皂 (ruǎnféizào)
• 軟脂酸 / 软脂酸 (ruǎnzhīsuān)
• 軟腳 / 软脚
• 軟腳病 / 软脚病
• 軟腳蝦 / 软脚虾
• 軟腳蟹 / 软脚蟹 (ruǎnjiǎoxiè)
• 軟膏 / 软膏 (ruǎngāo)
• 軟膿包 / 软脓包
• 軟語 / 软语
• 軟語溫存 / 软语温存
• 軟調脾 / 软调脾
• 軟轎 / 软轿
• 軟釘子 / 软钉子
• 軟鋼 / 软钢 (ruǎngāng)
• 軟錳礦 / 软锰矿
• 軟雞蛋 / 软鸡蛋
• 軟青皮 / 软青皮
• 軟面筋 / 软面筋
• 軟顎 / 软颚 (ruǎn'è)
• 軟風 / 软风
• 軟飲料 / 软饮料 (ruǎnyǐnliào)
• 軟飽 / 软饱
• 軟香溫玉 / 软香温玉
• 軟骨 / 软骨 (ruǎngǔ)
• 軟骨病 / 软骨病
• 軟骨頭 / 软骨头 (ruǎngútou)
• 軟骨魚綱 / 软骨鱼纲 (ruǎngǔyúgāng)
• 軟體 / 软体 (ruǎntǐ)
• 軟體動物 / 软体动物 (ruǎntǐ dòngwù)
• 軟體銀行 / 软体银行
• 酥軟 / 酥软 (sūruǎn)
• 酸軟 / 酸软 (suānruǎn)
• 開低走軟 / 开低走软
• 電玩軟體 / 电玩软体
• 電腦軟體 / 电脑软体
• 頂門腰軟 / 顶门腰软
• 香溫玉軟 / 香温玉软
• 骨軟筋酥 / 骨软筋酥
• 骨軟筋麻 / 骨软筋麻
• 鬆軟 / 松软 (sōngruǎn)

References

• “Entry #7918”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

Japanese

Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 軟

軟

(Jōyō kanji)

1. soft; flexible; pliable
2. soft; gentle; mild
3. weak; feeble

Readings

• Go-on: ねん (nen)
• Kan-on: ぜん (zen)
• Kan’yō-on: なん (nan, Jōyō)
• Kun: やわらか (yawaraka, 軟らか, Jōyō)、やわらかい (yawarakai, 軟らかい, Jōyō)

Compounds

• 軟禁(なんきん) (nankin): house arrest

Korean

Hanja

軟 • (yeon) (hangeul 연, revised yeon, McCune–Reischauer yŏn, Yale yen)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

軟: Hán Nôm readings: nhuyễn, nhiễn, nhũn, nhung

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.