始建 (shǐ jiàn) — to start building; to begin construction

Definition

始建 means 'to begin construction' — a formal verb used mostly in written and historical contexts (e.g. 始建于唐朝). Compare with 建造 (to construct/erect, ongoing work) and 修建 (to build or renovate, the process).

verb
to start buildingto begin construction

Examples

  • 始建。
    Zhè zuò gǔ sì shǐ jiàn yú táng cháo.
    This ancient temple was first built in the Tang Dynasty.
  • 始建。
    Gāi gōng chéng shǐ jiàn yú qù nián chū.
    The project started construction early last year.
  • 始建。
    Tā men shǐ jiàn le yí zuò xīn de bó wù guǎn.
    They began building a new museum.

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.

始shǐbegin
建jiànbuild

始, begin, specifies 建, build, giving to start building.

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
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái始shǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

始 is made of 女 (woman) and 台, which gives the sound.

Open 始 →

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

  • 廴廴yǐn
  • 聿聿yù

The shape 建 shows 廴 and 聿, but it comes from an older drawing of a hand planting a pole into a base; the lower part of 聿 is not a brush.

Open 建 →

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