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手軟

简手软 · 繁手軟

Mandarin · pinyin shǒu ruǎn

to be lenient
to relent
to be reluctant to make a hard decision
to think twice

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Characters in this entry

手: shǒu · hand
軟: Look up this written character
软: ruǎn · soft, flexible, pliable; weak

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–3 · shou3 ruan3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

手軟 · find source passages ↗ · 手软 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

sau2 jyun5

Cantonese word readings for 手軟. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

to be limp or tired on one's hands
to be irresolute when firmness is needed; to be softhearted

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack