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苗条 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
苗条miáotiao(of a woman) slimHSK 7, n, rank #9940, Hard
苗条miáotiaoslenderHSK 7, n, rank #9940, Hard
苗条miáotiaogracefulHSK 7, n, rank #9940, Hard
miáotiao(miao2tiao5) T2
  1. 1(of a woman) slim
  2. 2slender
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March 24, 2026
苗条(苗條)miáotiao(miao2tiao5)

苗条 describes a woman who is slim and graceful in appearance. This term is often used positively to compliment someone's figure, particularly in fashion and beauty contexts, emphasizing elegance and attractiveness.

Frequency#9940DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, being 苗条 is often idealized in fashion and media, reflecting societal standards of beauty. It is common for comments about body shape to be made openly among friends, both positively and negatively.

Memory Tip

Imagine a graceful willow tree (苗) swaying lightly in the wind, representing slimness and elegance. The sound 'miao' can remind you of 'meow,' as in the graceful movements of a cat, which helps you remember '苗条' means slender.

Meanings of 苗条

miáotiao(miao2tiao5)
1(of a woman) slim
2slender
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 苗条

苗条Simplified
苗條Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
名形词xíngróngcíadj-noun (adj.-n.)Part of Speech
#9940Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 苗条

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Podcast: 苗条

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AI Study Notes for 苗条

Quick Contrast

苗条 (slim) vs 纤细 (slender) — choose 苗条 for a more positive, graceful connotation.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a graceful willow tree (苗) swaying lightly in the wind, representing slimness and elegance. The sound 'miao' can remind you of 'meow,' as in the graceful movements of a cat, which helps you remember '苗条' means slender.

Usage Notes

苗条 is typically used in a positive context and is informal. Be careful not to use it in a derogatory manner, as it’s meant to compliment. A common mistake is to confuse it with other words for slimness that might have negative connotations.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 5 word, 苗条 connects with other vocabulary related to physical descriptions and appearance, such as 漂亮 (piàoliang - beautiful) and 瘦 (shòu - thin). Focus on using it in descriptive sentences about people.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, being 苗条 is often idealized in fashion and media, reflecting societal standards of beauty. It is common for comments about body shape to be made openly among friends, both positively and negatively.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 苗条 with 瘦 (shòu), which simply means 'thin' without the graceful connotation. For example, saying '她很瘦' (tā hěn shòu - she is very thin) lacks the elegance implied in 苗条.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 苗条

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Component Characters

苗miáoHmong or Miao ethnic group of southwest China
HSK 78 strokes艹
View full entry
条tiáostrip
HSK 27 strokes木
View full entry

Write 苗条

苗
条

Practice writing 苗条 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 苗条

苗条 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

在我看来，要拥有完美身材就要非常____。

My idea of physical perfection is to be very slender.

Example Sentences for 苗条 (6)

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1
在我看来，要拥有完美身材就要非常苗条。

zài wǒ kàn lái， ， yào yōng yǒu wán měi shēn cái jiù yào fēi cháng miáo。

My idea of physical perfection is to be very slender.
2
珍妮非常漂亮，身材苗条，有一双蓝色的眼睛。

zhēn nī fēi cháng piāo liàng， ， shēn cái miáo， tiáo ， yǒu yī shuāng lán sè de。

Jean is pretty, of slim build, with blue eyes.
3
司机是个大约30岁的身材苗条的年轻女子。

sī jī shì gè dà yuē30 30 suì de shēn cái miáo tiáo de nián qīng nǚ。

The driver was a trim young woman of perhaps thirty.
4
如果不多加注意，你就会失去女孩般的苗条身段。

rú guǒ bù duō jiā zhù yì， ， nǐ jiù huì shī qù nǚ hái bān de miáo tiáo shēn。

You'll lose your girlish figure if you don't watch out.
5
新娘很年轻, 很苗条, 象一朵白郁金香.

xīn niáng hěn nián qīng, , hěn miáo, tiáo , xiàng yī duǒ bái yù.

The bride was very young, very slender, a white tulip.
6
她苗条美丽、泼大方, 是父母的掌上明珠.

tā miáo tiáo měi lì、 、 pō dà, fāng , shì fù mǔ de zhǎng shàng.

Slender, pretty and vivacious, she was the apple of her parents'eye.

Cultural Notes for 苗条

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, being 苗条 is often idealized in fashion and media, reflecting societal standards of beauty. It is common for comments about body shape to be made openly among friends, both positively and negatively.

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, while being slim is often celebrated, there is also a strong movement towards body positivity that embraces all body types, contrasting with the more uniform standard found in some Chinese contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions about 苗条

Yes, 苗条 is specifically used to describe women. For men, you would typically use different terms.