軟

Associative compound:

車 (cart, wheel) + 欠 (to lack, yawn)

車 — represents a vehicle or wheel

欠 — conveys deficiency, looseness, or lack of tension

The original image is understood as a wheel or axle that has loosened, no longer rigid. From this mechanical sense of loss of firmness, the meaning expanded to softness and pliability in general.

軟弱 (연약) — weak; feeble

軟化 (연화) — to soften

軟體 (연체) — soft body

柔軟 (유연) — soft and flexible

心軟 (심연) — soft-hearted

軟 represents a worldview where yielding is not merely weakness, but a condition of adaptability.

In Confucianism, excessive 軟 may imply moral weakness.

In Buddhism, 軟 often signals compassion and openness.

In poetry, it evokes quiet influence rather than force.

Thus, 軟 stands at the intersection of material softness and philosophical flexibility, its meaning shifting subtly with context.

Semantically related characters:

柔 — gentle, supple

弱 — weak

嫩 — tender

脆 — brittle (contrastive softness)

Conceptual contrast:

剛 — hard, firm

堅 — solid

強 — strong

Classical citations:

《荀子·修身》 (Xunzi)

「人心軟弱，則易為物奪。」

“When the human mind is soft and weak, it is easily taken over by external things.”

Here, 軟 describes moral or psychological weakness, not physical texture.

《大智度論》 (The Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom)

「柔軟心者，易入佛道。」

“Those with a soft and gentle mind easily enter the Buddha’s path.”

In Buddhism, 軟 is closely associated with 柔 (gentleness) and is often positive, signifying non-resistance and compassion.

輭 (U+8F2D) is the original form. Uses 耎 instead of 欠

軟 is a later graphic replacement that became standard.