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介绍所 (jiè shào suǒ) — matchmaking center

Definition

A matchmaking center (literally 'introduction office') that helps people find marriage partners — a real, established business in Chinese-speaking contexts.

noun
matchmaking center
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 介绍所。
    Wǒ zài zhè jiā jiè shào suǒ zhǎo dào le nán péng you.
    I found a boyfriend at this matchmaking center.
  • 介绍所。
    Zhè jiā jiè shào suǒ de ā yí hěn rè xīn.
    The lady at this matchmaking center is very kind.
  • 介绍所。
    jiè shào suǒ Bāng zhù hěn duō rén jié hūn le.
    The matchmaking center helped many people get married.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

介绍introduce
介jièintroduce绍shàoconnect/introduce
联合Coordinate
所suǒplace

介绍 (introduce) and 所 (place) together mean a center for introductions.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

介 shows a central human form with two marks around it, indicating being between.

Open 介 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 紹; 绍 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
召
召zhào紹shào
Same sound today

The traditional form 紹 pairs 糸 with 召: 糸 is the meaning part, and 召 is the sound part. This explanation is about 紹, not the simplified 绍.

Open 绍 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
戶
戶hù所suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

所 pairs 斤, an axe, with 戶, which gives the sound hù; the old meaning was the sound of logging.

Open 所 →
Appears in
Romance & Marriage

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