失真 (shī zhēn) — to be distorted; to lack fidelity (in sound, image, signal, etc.)

Definition

Refers to a signal, recording, or image losing accuracy and deviating from the original — common in audio, video, and communications contexts.

verb
to be distortedto lack fidelity (in sound, image, signal, etc.)

Examples

  • 失真。
    Zhè zhāng zhào piàn yǒu diǎn shī zhēn.
    This photo is a bit distorted.
  • ，。
    Lù yīn shī le zhēn, tīng bù qīng chǔ.
    The recording became distorted; it's hard to hear clearly.
  • 失真。
    Xìn hào jīng guò cháng jù lí chuán shū hòu róng yì shī zhēn.
    Signals are prone to distortion after long-distance transmission.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

失shīlose
真zhēntruth

失 means lose and 真 means truth, so the word describes losing fidelity to the original.

Characters in this word

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

The shape is explained as a fallen person's footprint surrounded by drops of blood; another reading pairs 手 (hand) and 乙 to show something falling from a hand.

Open 失 →

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
貝貝bèicowrie; shell
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂈
𠂈𠂈真zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

真 pairs 貝 (cowrie shell, used for the meaning) with 𠂈, which gave the sound and originally drew a headlong fall.

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