化装 (huà zhuāng) — to put on makeup; to disguise oneself | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A separable verb covering both 'put on makeup' and 'disguise oneself' — the object (装) can move or be measured (化个装). It is NOT about applying stage/film makeup, which uses 化妆.

verb

to put on makeupto disguise oneself

Examples

，化装。
Tā jīn wǎn yào cān jiā wǎn huì, zhèng zài fáng jiān lǐ huà zhuāng.
She is going to a party tonight and is putting on makeup in her room.
，。
Tā huà le yí gè zhuāng, bié rén dōu kàn bù chū lái.
He put on a disguise and no one could tell.
。
Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu yào huà bàn gè xiǎo shí zhuāng.
Every morning she spends half an hour putting on makeup.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

装zhuāngattire

化 (change) + 装 (attire) = change one's attire, i.e. disguise or make up.

Characters in this word

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

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 裝; 装 is its simplified writing.

壯衣裝

Meaning part形符xíngfú

衣衣yīclothes

Sound part声符shēngfú

壯

壯zhuàng裝zhuāng

Same sound today

The traditional form 裝 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 壯 as a sound part; this story is about 裝, not the simplified 装.

Appears in

Hygiene & Grooming

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