健硕 (jiàn shuò) — well-built, strong and muscular (used for physique)

Definition

Formal/literary word for a strong, muscular physique (people or animals). Stronger and more written than 强壮, which is the everyday default.

adjective
well-builtstrong and muscular (used for physique)

Examples

  • 健硕，。
    Tā shēn cái jiàn shuò, yí kàn jiù zhī dào jīng cháng yùn dòng.
    He has a well-built physique; you can tell at a glance that he exercises often.
  • 健硕，。
    Zhè pǐ mǎ tǐ xíng jiàn shuò, shì hěn hǎo de sài mǎ.
    This horse is strong and muscular; it's a very good racehorse.
  • ，健硕。
    Jīng guò jǐ gè yuè de xùn liàn, tā de shǒu bì biàn de jiàn shuò yǒu lì.
    After months of training, his arms became strong and muscular.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

健jiànstrong
硕shuòlarge/stout

健 and 硕 both describe physique, strong and large or stout.

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
建
建jiàn健jiàn
Same sound today

The left part 亻 depicts a person, and the right part 建 gives the sound.

Open 健 →

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 碩; 硕 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí碩shuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 碩 puts 石 beside 頁: 石 gives the sound, and 頁 is the meaning part; the simplified 硕 is a shorthand.

Open 硕 →

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