小写 (xiǎo xiě) — lowercase letter; simple form of Chinese numerals (as opposed to the formal 大写)

Definition

小写 has two senses: (1) lowercase letters in the Latin alphabet; (2) the simple form of Chinese numerals (一二三), contrasted with the formal 大写 (壹贰叁) used on checks and contracts.

noun
lowercase lettersimple form of Chinese numerals (as opposed to the formal 大写)

Examples

  • 小写。
    Zhè ge dān cí yīng gāi yòng xiǎo xiě xiě.
    This word should be written in lowercase.
  • ，小写，贰。
    Zài zhōng wén lǐ, xiǎo xiě shù zì jiù shì yī èr sān, dà xiě shì yī èr sān.
    In Chinese, the simple numerals are one, two, three; the formal ones are the complex forms.
  • 小写。
    Tā de qiān míng yòng de shì xiǎo xiě zì mǔ.
    His signature uses lowercase letters.

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.

小xiǎosmall
写xiěwriting

小 marks the smaller or simpler form, and 写 refers to writing or letter forms.

Characters in this word

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

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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 寫; 写 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
舄
舄xì寫xiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 寫 combines 宀 with 舄 for the sound; this note is about 寫, not the simplified 写.

Open 写 →

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