决胜 (jué shēng) — to decide victory, to clinch a win | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal, written verb meaning 'to decide the outcome' or 'to clinch a win', used mostly about the decisive moment in a competition. Far more common in set phrases like 决胜局 or 决胜盘 than as a standalone verb.

verb

to decide victoryto clinch a win

Examples

决胜。
Zhè chǎng jué sài jiāng jué shēng zuì zhōng de guàn jūn.
This final will decide the ultimate champion.
，。
Shuāng fāng kǔ zhàn wǔ jú, zuì hòu zhōng yú jué le shèng.
Both sides fought hard for five sets, and finally the victory was decided.
，。
Tā zài jué shèng pán fā huī chū sè, yì jǔ ná xià bǐ sài.
He played brilliantly in the deciding set and won the match in one go.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

胜shèngvictory

决 means decide, and 胜 victory, so together they mean to clinch a win.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 決; 决 is its simplified writing.

氵夬決

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐ

Sound part声符shēngfú

夬

夬guài決jué

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 決 has 氵 (water) and 夬, which gives the sound. This describes 決, not the simplified 决.

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

肉肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

生

生shēng胜shèng

Same sound today

The simplified 胜 changes the traditional 勝 by replacing part of its sound side with 生; the left 肉 relates to meat.

Appears in

Success & Failure

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