How do you say "humble" in Chinese?

谦逊

qiān xùn

Adjective Hanzi

In Chinese, "humble" is 谦逊 (qiān xùn).

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free Chinese learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

To get qiān xùn right, aim for "qiān" held flat and high (first tone), then "xùn" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).

Writing and usage

谦逊 is written using hanzi. It's a adjective, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

尽管取得了成功，她依然保持谦逊。

jǐn guǎn qǔ dé le chéng gōng ， tā yī rán bǎo chí qiān xùn 。

She stayed humble despite her success.

Test your Chinese knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember 谦逊

Hold this scene in mind: humble, paired tightly with the sound "qiān xùn" — that's the whole trick.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 谦逊

How do you pronounce 谦逊?

To get qiān xùn right, aim for "qiān" held flat and high (first tone), then "xùn" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).

Is 谦逊 formal or casual?

谦逊 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 谦逊 used in Chinese?

谦逊 is used the same way as the equivalent English adjective. For example: 尽管取得了成功，她依然保持谦逊。 (She stayed humble despite her success.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Humble" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town