干燥
Traditional: 乾燥
gān zào HSK 5

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

这里的天气很干燥。
Zhèlǐ de tiānqì hěn gānzào.
The weather here is very dry.
干燥的食物容易保存。
Gānzào de shíwù róngyì bǎocún.
Dry food is easy to preserve.
这本书的内容很干燥。
Zhè běn shū de nèiróng hěn gānzào.
The content of this book is very dull.
天气很干燥。
Tiānqì hěn gānzào.
The weather is very dry.
皮肤太干燥了。
Pífū tài gānzào le.
The skin is too dry.

💡 Memory Tip

Break it down: 干 (gān) means 'dry,' and 燥 (zào) contains the fire radical (火), suggesting heat that removes moisture. Think of 'dry and roasted' (like food preserved in dry heat) to link the characters.

📝 Usage Notes

Used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese. Common in descriptions of weather (干燥的天气), environments (干燥的地区), or technical contexts like construction, cooking, or storage. It can also describe skin or throat feeling dry due to environment.

📖 Grammar Points

Typically used as an attributive adjective before nouns (干燥的空气) or as a predicate with 很/非常 (这里非常干燥). Can be part of compound nouns like 干燥剂 (desiccant).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In northern China, 干燥 is frequently mentioned in daily conversation, especially in winter when indoor heating reduces humidity, leading to complaints about dry skin or air. It's also a key consideration in traditional food preservation methods.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 干 (gān), which is a simpler, more general term for 'dry' (e.g., 衣服干了 - the clothes are dry), 干燥 is more formal and often describes a state or condition over time. 干旱 (gānhàn) specifically refers to drought or a severe lack of rainfall.

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