窄
zhǎi
Narrow lane, tight shoe, narrow mind
The picture Two walls leaning in until the space between them barely passes one body. 窄 is two sides closing in and pinching; 宽 is two sides opening out with room to spare.
Where the picture shows up in 窄
-
narrow across
这条路太窄,车进不去。
zhè tiáo lù tài zhǎi, chē jìn bú qù
This lane is too narrow, the car can't get in.
Walls leaning in on both sides until the mirrors brush them
-
tight shoes
这双鞋有点窄。
zhè shuāng xié yǒudiǎn zhǎi
These shoes are a bit narrow.
The sides of the toes pressed flat against leather with no room left
-
cramped room
房子很窄,东西放不下。
fángzi hěn zhǎi, dōngxi fàng bú xià
The place is cramped — there's nowhere to put things.
One box goes down and suddenly there is nowhere to stand
-
narrow scope
这个工作范围很窄。
zhège gōngzuò fànwéi hěn zhǎi
This job has a narrow scope.
A table where only two boxes are left to tick
-
narrow-minded
他心眼儿很窄。
tā xīnyǎnr hěn zhǎi
He's very narrow-minded.
A gap the width of a needle's eye where one passing remark sticks and will not come out
心眼儿窄 is the set phrase for narrow-mindedness
All of it in one picture
窄 is the state of the space between two sides having shrunk. Shrunk on a lane and a car cannot enter; shrunk in a shoe and the toes are pressed; shrunk in a room and there is nowhere to set things; shrunk in a job's scope and only two boxes are left to choose from; shrunk in a mind and one remark from someone else gets stuck there.