astringent, bitter, hard to deal with

About this kanji

The kanji 渋 has several meanings, primarily relating to something that is astringent or bitter, and it can describe a situation that is difficult to deal with. It can be used as a noun or in verb forms. For example, in the compound 渋滞 (じゅうたい), it means "traffic jam," referring to a situation where vehicles are stuck. Another compound, 渋み (しぶみ), translates to "astringency," often used to talk about the taste of certain fruits or teas. Lastly, 渋茶 (しぶちゃ) refers to "bitter tea," especially a type of tea that's not very sweet. One interesting note is that while it often describes unpleasant tastes or situations, it can also have a nuanced, sophisticated quality in certain contexts.

Built from

Example sentences

• このお茶は少し渋いですね。

  This tea is a bit astringent, isn't it?

Meanings across languages

English

astringent, bitter, hard to deal with

Tiếng Việt

chát, đắng, khó chịu

日本語

渋い, 渋さ

한국어

수렴성, 쓴, 다루기 어려운

中文

涩, 苦, 难处理

id

astringent, pahit, sulit

th

ฝาด, ขม, ยาก

es

astringente, amargo, difícil

fr

astringent, amer, difficile

de

zusätzlich, bitter, schwierig

pt

adstringente, amargo, difícil

Common compounds

• 渋滞じゅうたいtraffic jam
• 渋みしぶみastringency, bitterness
• 渋茶しぶちゃbitter tea