低效 (dī xiào) — inefficiency; low efficiency | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

inefficiencylow efficiency

Examples

低效。
Gōng sī de dī xiào yǐn qǐ le hěn duō yuán gōng de bào yuàn.
The company's inefficiency caused complaints from many employees.
低效。
Zhè zhǒng dī xiào ràng kè hù hěn bù mǎn yì.
This kind of inefficiency makes customers quite dissatisfied.
，低效。
Wǒ men bì xū tí gāo xiào lǜ, jiǎn shǎo dī xiào.
We must improve efficiency and reduce inefficiency.

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.

低 (low) and 效 (effect) combine to mean low efficiency or weak effect.

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.

亻氐低

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénman, person

Sound part声符shēngfú

氐

氐dī低dī

Same sound today

In 低, the left side 亻 is a person, and the right side 氐 gives the sound; the image is a person lowering or bowing themselves.

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

交攵效

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攵Written in full as攴pūto strike; action

Sound part声符shēngfú

交

交jiāo效xiào

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

效 pairs 攵 (written in full as 攴), meaning “to strike; action,” with 交, which gives the sound.

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