渐渐

Étymologie et composants

The Chinese word 渐渐 (jiànjiàn) is an adverb that means "gradually" or "little by little". It is composed of two characters: 渐 (jiàn), which means "step by step" or "gradually", and 渐 (jiàn), which is a reduplication of the first character. The reduplication of the character 渐 emphasizes the meaning of "gradually" or "little by little".The word 渐渐 is first recorded in the Chinese classic text "Zuo Zhuan", which was written in the 5th century BC. In the "Zuo Zhuan", the word 渐渐 is used to describe the gradual decline of the State of Jin.The word 渐渐 is also used in many Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom "水滴石穿" (shuǐdīshíchuān) means "water dripping through stone", which is used to describe the power of persistence. The proverb "有志者事竟成" (yǒuzhǐzhěshìjìngchéng) means "where there's a will, there's a way", which is used to encourage people to never give up on their dreams.The word 渐渐 is a common word in Chinese and is used in both spoken and written language. It is an important word for HSK learners to know, as it is used in a variety of contexts.