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代表作 (dài biǎo zuò) — representative work (the most characteristic piece of an artist, writer, or creator)

Definition

noun
representative work (the most characteristic piece of an artist, writer, or creator)
Measure word · 部

Examples

  • 代表作。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō shì lǔ xùn de dài biǎo zuò zhī yī.
    This novel is one of Lu Xun's representative works.
  • 代表作。
    Tā de dài biǎo zuò yóu huà bèi shōu cáng zài guó jiā bó wù guǎn.
    His representative oil painting is collected in the National Museum.
  • 代表作。
    Měi wèi dǎo yǎn dōu yīng gāi yǒu yí bù shǔ yú zì jǐ de dài biǎo zuò.
    Every director should have a representative work of their own.

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.

代表representative
代dàirepresent表biǎoshow
联合Coordinate
作zuòwork

代表 gives representative from 代 represent and 表 show, and 作 is the work.

Characters in this word

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì代dài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 代, 亻 shows a person, and 弋 gives the sound.

Open 代 →

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

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Open 表 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà作zuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

Open 作 →
Appears in
Art & Fine Arts

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