Meaning
谦虚
qiān xū
Humility, modesty
- 谦
- modest
- 虚
- empty, open
The everyday word for being humble.
Humility in Chinese
The Chinese word for humility is 谦虚 (qiān xū). The everyday word for being humble. In traditional characters it is written 謙虛.
谦虚
qiān xū
Humility
What 谦虚 means.
谦 is modesty and 虚 is emptiness, room to learn. The Book of Documents says 满招损，谦受益: pride invites loss, humility brings benefit. 谦 is also a hexagram of the I Ching.
- 谦
- modest
- 虚
- empty, open
Simplified and traditional
谦虚
謙虛
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 謙虛 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 谦虚 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
Pick the shade of meaning.
Chinese often has more than one word where English has one. Here is how they differ.
Meaning
谦
qiān
Humility
- 谦
- modest, humble
One character, the virtue of modesty.
About humility in Chinese
How do you write humility in Chinese?
Humility is 谦虚 in Chinese, pronounced qiān xū. Humility, modesty 谦 means “modest”, 虚 means “empty, open”.
How do you pronounce 谦虚?
Say qiān (first tone, high and level), xū (first tone, high and level). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 谦虚 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 謙虛, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 谦虚 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
What other Chinese words mean humility?
谦 (qiān): Humility One character, the virtue of modesty.
Is 谦虚 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.