adjective / verb HSK 5
Traditional 詳
detailed · clear · to know in detail
Meaning
详 means 'detailed' or 'thorough' and describes information that is complete and comprehensive. As a verb, it can mean 'to know in detail' or 'to examine carefully.' It's commonly used in formal or written contexts to indicate thoroughness.
Usage
This character appears frequently in compound words and formal expressions. Native speakers often use it in written Chinese, official documents, and formal speech. It's commonly paired with other characters like 详细 (detailed) or 详情 (details).
Examples
- 01请详细说明您的问题。.Please explain your problem in detail.
- 02详情请参阅产品说明书。.For details, please refer to the product manual.
Common collocations
- 详细说明detailed explanation
- 详见see details in; for details see
- 不详not detailed; unknown
- 详尽exhaustive, thorough
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 詳 combines 言 (speech/words) with 羊 (sheep). The sheep component serves as a phonetic indicator, while the speech radical suggests communication of complete information.