回文 (huí wén) — palindrome; (historical) Arabic script used by Chinese Muslims (小儿经)

Definition

In modern Chinese, 回文 almost always means a 'palindrome' — a word or sentence that reads the same forwards and backwards. The 'Arabic script used by Chinese Muslims' sense is a historical term, not what learners will meet.

noun
palindrome(historical) Arabic script used by Chinese Muslims (小儿经)

Examples

  • 回文，。
    Zhè ge jù zi shì huí wén, zhèng zháo dú fǎn zhe dú dōu yí yàng.
    This sentence is a palindrome; it reads the same forwards and backwards.
  • 回文。
    Xué xí huí wén kě yǐ duàn liàn yǔ yán sī wéi néng lì.
    Learning palindromes can train your language thinking ability.
  • ，回文。
    Lì shǐ shàng, zhōng guó mù sī lín céng yòng huí wén shū xiě hàn yǔ.
    Historically, Chinese Muslims used Arabic script to write Chinese.

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.

回huíHui
文wénscript

The name comes from the 回 people: 回 refers to the Hui community, and 文 denotes their script.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →

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