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輕描淡寫

简轻描淡写 · 繁輕描淡寫

Mandarin · pinyin qīng miáo dàn xiě

(idiom) to treat sth as no big deal
to downplay
to understate

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Characters in this entry

輕: qīng · light; easy, simple; gentle
描: miáo · copy, trace, sketch; depict
淡: dàn · weak, watery; insipid, tasteless
寫: xiě · write; draw, sketch; compose
轻: qīng · light; easy, simple; gentle
写: xiě · write; draw, sketch; compose

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

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Mandarin tones

1–2–4–3 · qing1 miao2 dan4 xie3

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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.

輕描淡寫 · find source passages ↗ · 轻描淡写 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

hing1 miu4 daam6 se2

Cantonese word readings for 輕描淡寫. 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.

phrase

(idiomatic) to touch on lightly; to mention casually; to play down

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

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