玄 xuán deep
deep; profound; abstruse; mysterious
How it came to be
指事 · Indicative
A sign that points at an idea, often a mark added to a simple drawing.
Originally: twist of silk
The oldest form, in bronze, is a twisted cord of two threads; the small seal adds a mark on top.
用法
- Deep/mysterious/abstruse: 玄妙 (xuánmiào) profound and subtle, 玄机 (xuánjī) a hidden secret/mystery.
- Colloquially 玄 means far-fetched/dubious/unreliable: 这事有点玄 (zhè shì yǒudiǎn xuán) this is iffy/unlikely to work out. Also 玄幻 (xuánhuàn) the fantasy fiction genre.