adjective / verb HSK 5
Traditional 寬容
tolerant · lenient · to tolerate · to forgive
Meaning
宽容 describes an attitude of being understanding and forgiving toward others' mistakes or differences. It combines the idea of being broad-minded (宽) with acceptance (容), suggesting someone who doesn't judge harshly and allows room for imperfection.
Usage
Commonly used to describe people's character or attitudes toward others. Often appears in moral or philosophical discussions about interpersonal relationships. Can be used as both an adjective ('他很宽容' - he's very tolerant) and a verb ('宽容别人的错误' - to forgive others' mistakes).
Examples
- 01他对别人的缺点很宽容，从不计较小事。, .He is very tolerant of others' shortcomings and never frets over small matters.
- 02父母应该宽容孩子的错误，给他们改正的机会。, .Parents should be forgiving of their children's mistakes and give them opportunities to correct them.
Characters
Common collocations
- 对...宽容...to be tolerant toward...
- 宽容大度magnanimous and tolerant
- 宽容的态度a tolerant attitude
- 互相宽容to be mutually tolerant
Antonyms
Origin
The word literally means 'broad tolerance.' 宽 originally referred to physical width but extended to mean breadth of mind, while 容 means to contain or accommodate, creating the sense of having space to accept others.