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借口 (jiè kǒu) — (noun) excuse, pretext

Definition

借口 is an 'excuse' you GIVE or INVENT to justify or hide something — the reason you offer, not forgiveness (that's 原谅). 名义 is similar but framed more formally as an 'ostensible purpose' for an action.

noun
excusepretext

Examples

  • 借口。
    Tā zǒng shì zhǎo jiè kǒu chí dào.
    He always makes excuses for being late.
  • 借口，。
    Tā yǐ shēn tǐ bù shū fu wèi jiè kǒu, méi yǒu cān jiā jù huì.
    She used feeling unwell as an excuse and didn't attend the party.
  • 借口。
    Zhè ge jiè kǒu tīng qǐ lái hěn hé lǐ.
    This excuse sounds very reasonable.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

借jièborrow or use
口kǒumouth or claim

'借' means to borrow or use and '口' means mouth or claim, together expressing an excuse one borrows.

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
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
昔
昔xī借jiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

借 combines 人, a person, with 昔, which shows the sound.

Open 借 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.

Open 口 →
Appears in
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