判断力 (pàn duàn lì) — judgment (the ability to make sensible decision…

Definition

noun

judgment (the ability to make sensible decisions or form opinions)

判断力，。
Tā de pàn duàn lì hěn qiáng, zǒng néng zuò chū zhèng què de xuǎn zé.
His judgment is very strong; he always makes the right choices.
判断力。
Zhè ge gōng zuò xū yào liáng hǎo de pàn duàn lì.
This job requires good judgment.
判断力。
Tā de pàn duàn lì zài guān jiàn shí kè bāng le dà máng.
Her judgment helped a lot at the critical moment.

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.

判断judge

联合Coordinate

力lìability

判断 'judge' plus 力 'ability' means the power to judge well.

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

刀刀dāoknife

Sound part声符shēngfú

半

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

判 combines 刀, a knife, with 半, which provides the sound.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 斷; 断 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 斷 uses 𢇍 (to cut) and 斤 (axe) together.

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

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

Appears in