复制 (fù zhì) — to copy, to duplicate (a file, document, etc.);… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

General 'copy / duplicate / reproduce' — files, images, or living things. 复印 is specifically photocopying paper; 克隆 is scientific cloning of organisms.

verb

to copyto duplicate (a file, document, etc.)to reproduceto clone (genetically or artificially)

Examples

复制。
Qǐng bǎ zhè ge wén jiàn fù zhì dào diàn nǎo lǐ.
Please copy this file to the computer.
复制。
Zhè jiā gōng sī fù zhì le hěn duō gǔ huà.
This company reproduces many ancient paintings.
复制。
Kē xué jiā chéng gōng fù zhì le yì zhī yáng.
Scientists successfully cloned a sheep.

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.

复 means 'again' and 制 means 'make', giving 'make again'.

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 復; 复 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 复 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (复习, 恢复) it is 復; in others (复印, 复杂) (答复, 反复) it is 複 or 覆.

彳复復

Meaning part形符xíngfú

彳彳chìwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

复

复fù復fù

Same sound today

The traditional form 復 combines 彳, a walking part, with 复, a sound part, to show walking back and forth.

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

朱朱zhūtree
刀刀dāoknife

The form 制 pairs 朱 (tree) with 刀 (knife), showing the act of cutting a tree.

Appears in

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