Word information
Simplified蜻蜓点水
Traditional蜻蜓點水
Pinyinqīng tíng diǎn shuǐ
Part of speechDictionary
HSK 3.0Not listed
HSK 2.0Not listed
Chinese word dictionary
蜻蜓点水
qīng tíng diǎn shuǐ · lit. the dragonfly touches the water lightly; superficial contact (idiom)
Character breakdown
Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.
How to learn 蜻蜓点水
Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.
When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.
Related vocabulary
Words with the same characters
Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.
点diǎn
to touch briefly; to tap; to mark with a dot; to check off (on a list); to order (food etc); to select; to mention; to bring up (a topic or person); to hint at; to imply; to administer (eye medicine etc) in drops; to light (a fire, a lamp etc); to ignite; to nod (one's head) in agreement; to beckon by moving (one's hand) up and down; point; dot; spot; speck; dot stroke in Chinese characters; (math.) decimal point; point in time or space; (after a number) o'clock; a small amount; a bit; (after a verb or adjective) a bit more; classifier for small amounts
点diǎnpoint; dot; drop; speck; o'clock
水shuǐsurname Shui; water; (after a name) ... River; to swim (used mostly in 會水|会水[hui4 shui3] and 水性[shui3 xing4]); (coll.) lacking in substance; shoddy; (bound form) additional cost; extra income; classifier for washings of a garment
水果shuǐguǒfruit; CL:個|个[ge4]
一点儿yìdiǎnrerhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3]
有点儿yǒudiǎnrslightly; a little; somewhat