剪彩 (jiǎn cǎi) — to cut the ribbon (at a launching or opening ce…

Definition

A set verb meaning 'to cut the ribbon' at an opening ceremony. 剪 takes the object 彩 directly and the event/place (e.g. 大桥) often follows with 为/为…举行.

verb

to cut the ribbon (at a launching or opening ceremony)

剪彩。
Shì zhǎng wèi xīn shāng chǎng jiǎn cǎi.
The mayor cut the ribbon for the new shopping mall.
。
Zhè ge xiàng mù zuó tiān gāng jiǎn le cǎi.
This project just had its ribbon-cutting yesterday.
。
Tā wèi dà qiáo tōng chē yí shì jiǎn guò yí cì cǎi.
She once cut the ribbon at the bridge opening ceremony.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

彩cǎicolored ribbon

剪 (cut) and 彩 (colored ribbon) together mean cutting the ribbon at an opening.

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

歬

歬qián剪jiǎn

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

In 剪, 刀 is the knife part and 歬 gives the sound. After 前 came to replace 歬, another 刀 was added to 剪.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

采彡彩

Meaning part形符xíngfú

彡彡shān

Sound part声符shēngfú

采

Same sound today

彩 puts 采, which gives the sound, next to 彡, the three-stroke mark that carries the meaning.

Appears in