叙旧 (xù jiù) — to reminisce, to talk about old times | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A verb meaning to reminisce or catch up about old times with someone you haven't seen in a while, often reduplicated as 叙叙旧 for a casual feel.

verb

to reminisceto talk about old times

Examples

，叙旧。
Lǎo tóng xué jiàn miàn, miǎn bù liǎo yào xù jiù yì fān.
When old classmates meet, they can't help but reminisce for a while.
，。
Wǒ men hǎo jiǔ méi jiàn le, jīn tiān hǎo hǎo xù xù jiù.
We haven't seen each other for a long time; let's have a good chat about old times today.
，。
Shàng cì jù huì wǒ zhī gēn tā xù le yí cì jiù, shí jiān tài duǎn le.
At the last gathering I only reminisced with him once — the time was too short.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

叙xùnarrate

叙旧 joins 叙, to talk about, with 旧, old times, giving the sense of reminiscing.

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 敘; 叙 is its simplified writing.

余攵敘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攵Written in full as攴pū

Sound part声符shēngfú

余

余yú敘xù

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

The traditional form 敘 puts 余 on the left, giving the sound yú, and 攵 on the right as the meaningful part; the simplified 叙 is a shorthand.

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 舊; 旧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雈雈huánowl

Sound part声符shēngfú

臼

臼jiù舊jiù

Same sound today

The traditional form of 旧 is 舊, which shows 雈, an owl, above 臼, which gives the sound.

Appears in

Communication & Speech Friends & Social

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