Definition
缓 (huǎn) as a verb has two distinct uses: to postpone/delay (more colloquial than 推迟) and to revive/recuperate after physical strain (less clinical than 康复 and narrower than 复苏). Its postpone sense is often used with complements like 缓一缓, while 推迟 is the standard formal term for rescheduling. The revive sense appears in patterns like 缓过来, meaning to catch one's breath or revive, whereas 康复 refers to full medical recovery.
verb
to postponeto delayto deferto reviveto recuperate (often in 缓过来, 缓一缓)
Easily confused
- 暖nuǎnlook-alikewarm (adjective)
- 还huánsound-aliketo return, to give back (something borrowed)
- 爱àilook-aliketo love
- 换huànsound-aliketo exchange, to swap
- 患huànsound-aliketo contract / suffer from (a disease)
- 环huánsound-alike(noun) ring, hoop, loop, link (of a chain)
Examples
- 。Tā juédìng bǎ lǚxíng huǎn qī dào xià zhōu.He decided to postpone the trip to next week.
- ，缓。Tā xiūxi le yíhuìr, cái mànmàn huǎn guòlái.He rested for a while and then slowly revived.
- ，。Zhè jiàn shì bù jí, kěyǐ huǎn yì huǎn zàishuō.This matter is not urgent; we can postpone it and talk later.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.