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印刷 (yìn shuā) — to print

Definition

印刷 covers the process of printing — books, newspapers, packaging, anything in bulk. For everyday printing from a computer, 打印 is more common.

verb
to print

Examples

  • 印刷。
    Qǐng bǎ zhè xiē wén jiàn yìn shuā chū lái.
    Please print these documents out.
  • 印刷。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī yìn shuā le hěn duō shū.
    This company printed many books.
  • 印刷。
    Tā xué huì le yìn shuā zhào piàn.
    He learned to print photos.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

印yìnprint
刷shuābrush

印 and 刷 both refer to marking paper, together naming printing.

Characters in this word

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

  • 爪爪zhuǎhand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

Open 印 →

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

刷 uses 刀, a knife, and pairs it with 㕞 as a sound component.

Open 刷 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 6

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