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剪裁 (jiǎn cái) — to cut out and tailor (a garment); to prune or pare down (writing, text)

Definition

Literary verb: literally to cut and tailor a garment, but figuratively used to 'prune' writing — to cut, reshape, or trim content for effect. Extends the concrete sewing sense to editing prose.

verb
to cut out and tailor (a garment)to prune or pare down (writing, text)

Examples

  • 剪裁。
    Zhè wèi cái feng zhèng zài jiǎn cái yí jiàn xīn yī fu.
    This tailor is cutting out a new garment.
  • 剪裁。
    Zhè piān xiǎo shuō hái xū yào zǐ xì jiǎn cái yí xià.
    This novel still needs careful pruning.
  • 剪裁。
    Tā bǎ wén zhāng chóng xīn jiǎn cái le yí biàn.
    He re-edited the article from scratch.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

剪jiǎncut
裁cáitailor

Cut and tailor combine to mean cutting and shaping fabric or text.

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.

Open 剪 →

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
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢦏
𢦏𢦏裁cái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

裁 combines 衣 (clothing) with 𢦏, whose form is tied to a blade and an arrow, to show cutting fabric.

Open 裁 →
Appears in
Clothing

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