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堆砌 (duī qì) — to pile up (bricks, stones, etc.) to build something; (figurative) to pad out (writing or speech) with fancy but unnecessary expressions

Definition

Literally 'to pile up (bricks/stones)'; figuratively used almost only for overloading writing or speech with unnecessary fancy words or data. Distinct from 整理/'tidy up' or 包装/'packaging' — no physical-arranging meaning here.

verb
to pile up (bricks, stones, etc.) to build something(figurative) to pad out (writing or speech) with fancy but unnecessary expressions

Examples

  • 堆砌。
    Gōng rén men yòng shí tou duī qì le yí miàn wéi qiáng.
    The workers piled up stones to build a wall.
  • 堆砌，。
    Xiě wén zhāng bù néng zhī duī qì huá lì cí zǎo, yào yǒu shí jì nèi róng.
    When writing articles, you can't just pile up fancy words; there must be real content.
  • 堆砌，。
    Zhè piān bào gào duī qì le dà liàng shù jù, fǎn ér ràng rén zhuā bú zhù zhòng diǎn.
    This report piles up a lot of data, which actually makes it hard to grasp the main points.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

堆duīpile
砌qìlay bricks

堆 and 砌 both describe piling and laying bricks, so the word means to pile up or pad writing.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī堆duī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

堆 is built from 土 (earth) and 隹, which supplies the sound.

Open 堆 →

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
石石shístone
Sound part声符shēngfú
切
切qiè砌qì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

砌 is formed from 石 (stone) and 切; 切 gives the sound.

Open 砌 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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