倩 (qiàn) — (bound form) beautiful, handsome; (bound form, classical) to request, to ask (someone to do something)
Definition
倩 is a bound classical/literary form meaning 'beautiful' (seen in 倩影, 倩女). It is more bookish and elegant than the everyday 漂亮 or 美丽, and almost never stands alone — it attaches to a following noun.
bound form
beautifulhandsome(bound form, classical) to requestto ask (someone to do something)
Easily confused
- 情qínglook-alike(bound form) feelings; emotion; sentiment
- 欠qiànsound-aliketo owe (money, debt, favor, apology)
- 清qīnglook-alike(adjective) clear, clean, pure (of water, air, mind, sound)
- 茜qiànsound-alike(used in transliteration) qian, often in female names
- 请qǐnglook-aliketo ask politely, to request
- 歉qiànsound-alikeapology, apologetic (bound form, used in compounds)
Examples
- 。Tā de qiàn yǐng zài wǒ de jì yì zhōng yǒng bú tuì sè.Her beautiful image never fades in my memory.
- 倩。Tā qiàn rén dài bǐ xiě yì fēng xìn.He asked someone to write a letter on his behalf.
- 倩。Zhè wèi qiàn nǚ zài wǔ tái shàng piān piān qǐ wǔ.This beautiful woman danced gracefully on stage.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
倩 pairs 人, a person, with 青, which gives the sound.
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