<p>Agree - it’s hard to find a word to capture the subtle meaning of 妙. This is the beauty of Chinese. In some context, I think maybe we can also use “smart”. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-03T06:09:48.640Z
2020-01-03T06:09:48.640Z
sylvia
<p>There is a <em><a href="https://senseis.xmp.net/?ChineseGoTerms" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Go Dictionary</a></em> that contains two terms that begin with 妙.</p>

<p><strong>妙手</strong> which is defined:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>excellent move</p>
</blockquote>

<p>and <strong>妙着</strong> [sic?] which is also defined:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>excellent move</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here 妙 is consistently translated “excellent.”</p>

<p>“Clever,” might also be a option.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-03T04:56:21.967Z
2020-01-05T03:21:56.297Z
2020-01-05T03:21:56.297Z
Mou某
<p>I play chess, so when I see a move that's particularly clever, I like to say it's beautiful. Many chess players also use this, such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vYJyOGKCHE" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Kasparov</a>.  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-03T06:11:55.447Z
2020-01-03T06:11:55.447Z
Nico Damascus
<p>妙 is an adjective used to express better than expected.
妙 is composed of 女 and 少, 少女means young girl, just one 妙 means wonderful.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-04T17:02:59.910Z
2020-01-04T17:02:59.910Z
Cheney Lin
<p>I find the internet has these translations which are "wonderful" and "ingenious". I find the latter closer to the essence of the 妙。But I think something is amiss.</p>

<p>妙 has the meaning of subtlety in it and has the connotation that when you understand why it's "妙" then there is the feeling satisfaction. None of these subtle aspects is captured by "ingenious".</p>

<p>What is some good translation of the word 妙? I am thinking in the context of playing Go/Weiqi/Baduk.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-03T06:13:33.230Z
Why can not use [subtle sense 1.3](https://www.lexico.com/definition/subtle) ?
000
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-05T00:53:01.423Z
I think 'wonderful' is a correct translation for 妙.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-05T03:25:30.877Z
`None of these subtle aspects is captured by "ingenious".` This is incorrect, and you should ask this at English StackExchange.
dROOOze
<characters>
How to translate 妙？
# How to translate 妙？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-01-03)

I find the internet has these translations which are "wonderful" and "ingenious". I find the latter closer to the essence of the 妙。But I think something is amiss.

妙 has the meaning of subtlety in it and has the connotation that when you understand why it's "妙" then there is the feeling satisfaction. None of these subtle aspects is captured by "ingenious".

What is some good translation of the word 妙? I am thinking in the context of playing Go/Weiqi/Baduk.

**Tags:** characters

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Why can not use [subtle sense 1.3](https://www.lexico.com/definition/subtle) ?  
> **username_2**: I think 'wonderful' is a correct translation for 妙.  
> **username_3**: `None of these subtle aspects is captured by "ingenious".` This is incorrect, and you should ask this at English StackExchange.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-01-03. Score: 3

Agree - it’s hard to find a word to capture the subtle meaning of 妙. This is the beauty of Chinese. In some context, I think maybe we can also use “smart”.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2020-01-03. Score: 3

There is a *[Go Dictionary](https://senseis.xmp.net/?ChineseGoTerms)* that contains two terms that begin with 妙.

**妙手** which is defined:

> excellent move

and **妙着** [sic?] which is also defined:

> excellent move

Here 妙 is consistently translated “excellent.”

“Clever,” might also be a option.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2020-01-03. Score: 2

I play chess, so when I see a move that's particularly clever, I like to say it's beautiful. Many chess players also use this, such as [Kasparov](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vYJyOGKCHE).


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### Answer by username_7 on 2020-01-04. Score: 2

妙 is an adjective used to express better than expected.
妙 is composed of 女 and 少, 少女means young girl, just one 妙 means wonderful.


---

