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历程 (lì chéng) — course (of development), journey, process (with an emphasis on experience and stages)

Definition

历程 frames a process as something lived through (stages, experience), unlike 过程 which is neutral and factual. Pairs with longer, meaningful arcs — life, career, reform.

noun
course (of development)journeyprocess (with an emphasis on experience and stages)

Examples

  • 历程。
    Gǎi gé kāi fàng de lì chéng chōng mǎn tiǎo zhàn yǔ jī yù.
    The course of reform and opening-up is full of challenges and opportunities.
  • 历程，。
    Huí gù zhè wèi kē xué jiā de yán jiū lì chéng, wǒ men kàn dào tā bú xiè de nǔ lì.
    Looking back on this scientist's research journey, we see his unremitting efforts.
  • 历程。
    Rén shēng de lì chéng jiù xiàng yì tiáo wān yán de hé liú.
    The journey of life is like a winding river.

Origin

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.

历lìexperience
程chéngcourse

历 as experience and 程 as course combine to mean the course one has gone through.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歷; 历 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 历 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (简历, 经历) it is 歷; in others (日历) it is 曆.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
厤
厤lì歷lì
Same sound today

The form 歷 pairs 止 with the sound part 厤.

Open 历 →

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
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
呈
呈chéng程chéng
Same sound today

程 is made from 禾 (grain) and 呈 (pronounced chéng); the evidence gives measurements.

Open 程 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract ConceptsChange & Process

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