谦虚 (qiānxū)

谦虚 describes the quality of being humble or modest, not boasting about one's achievements or abilities.

Meanings

[adjective] humble; modest; unassuming

Example Sentences

他虽然很有才华，但总是非常谦虚。 Tā suīrán hěn yǒu cáihuá, dàn zǒng shì fēicháng qiānxū. Although he is very talented, he is always very humble.

谦虚的人更容易受到大家的尊重。 Qiānxū de rén gèng róngyì shòudào dàjiā de zūnzhòng. Humble people are more likely to earn everyone's respect.

面对赞美，她谦虚地说自己还需要进步。 Miànduì zànměi, tā qiānxū de shuō zìjǐ hái xūyào jìnbù. Faced with praise, she humbly said she still needed to improve.

谦虚是中国传统文化中非常重要的美德。 Qiānxū shì Zhōngguó chuántǒng wénhuà zhōng fēicháng zhòngyào de měidé. Modesty is a very important virtue in traditional Chinese culture.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
谦虚的态度 (qiānxū de tàidu)	humble attitude
保持谦虚 (bǎochí qiānxū)	to remain humble
谦虚好学 (qiānxū hào xué)	humble and eager to learn
过于谦虚 (guòyú qiānxū)	excessively modest

Usage Notes

谦虚 is a highly valued quality in Chinese culture, often cited alongside 诚实 and 认真 as desirable traits. However, 过于谦虚 (too modest) can be seen as false modesty or even a social inconvenience in some contexts. The opposite of 谦虚 is 骄傲 (jiāo'ào, arrogant) or 自大 (zìdà, conceited).

Memory Hook

谦 (modest/yielding) + 虚 (empty/humble) — to be 谦虚 is to keep yourself "empty" of pride, leaving room to learn from others.