How to Write 细 (xì) — Meaning “thin, fine, detailed, small”

Imagine a silk thread (纟) that is so thin it can pass through a tiny field (田) of small holes. The image of a very fine thread going through a little field helps you recall that 细 means 'thin' or 'fine'.

The left radical 纟 has three strokes: a curved first stroke, a second hook stroke, and a final horizontal line. The right part 田 must be written with a square frame and a vertical line crossing a horizontal line inside; keep the overall character balanced and not too wide.

纡 (yū) means 'bend' or 'circuitous' and has a different right component (于), while 红 (hóng) means 'red' and has 工 instead of 田. In contrast, 细 always focuses on thinness or small details, not color or bending.

You will see 细 in words like 仔细 (zǐ xì) meaning 'careful' and 细节 (xì jié) meaning 'detail'. It often describes physical thinness (e.g., a thin wire) or mental attentiveness, as in 细心 (careful, attentive).

Common words containing 细 include: 仔细 (zǐ xì) — Careful or meticulous; 细节 (xì jié) — detail; 细心 (xì xīn) — careful, attentive.