窄 zhǎi

“narrow; narrow-minded; badly off”

adjectiveHSK 4

新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level

窄 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.

Entry 3462: 窄 zhǎi — Level 5; official annotation 5 (形). PDF page 166

Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.

用法How to use 窄

窄 means "narrow" — not wide enough. It describes roads, streets, rooms, openings, and the width of clothes or shoes. It commonly appears after 很/太/有点 as a predicate, or before 的 + noun: 很窄, 太窄了, 窄窄的小路.

例句Example sentences

这条路很窄，开车要小心。zhè tiáo lù hěn zhǎi, kāi chē yào xiǎo xīn.This road is narrow; drive carefully.
我家门前有一条窄窄的小路。wǒ jiā mén qián yǒu yì tiáo zhǎi zhǎi de xiǎo lù.There is a narrow little path in front of my house.
这条裤子有点窄，我想换大一号的。zhè tiáo kù zi yǒu diǎn zhǎi, wǒ xiǎng huàn dà yī hào de.These pants are a bit narrow; I want to exchange them for a larger size.

常见错误Common mistakes

✗我哥哥很高，但是很窄。

✓我哥哥很高，但是很瘦。

窄 describes narrow spaces or widths, not a person's body build; use 瘦 for "thin".