年轻化 (nián qīng huà) — rejuvenation, becoming younger (as a trend or process)

Definition

Refers to the trend or process of something (a team, population, culture) becoming younger. Like other -化 words, it names the shift itself rather than the act of making it happen.

adverb
rejuvenationbecoming younger (as a trend or process)

Examples

  • 年轻化。
    Gōng sī guǎn lǐ céng zhèng zài nián qīng huà.
    The company's management is becoming younger.
  • 年轻化。
    Rén kǒu nián qīng huà shì yí gè quán qiú qū shì.
    Population rejuvenation is a global trend.
  • 年轻化。
    Zhè ge zhèng cè tuī dòng le tuán duì nián qīng huà.
    This policy promoted the rejuvenation of the team.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

年轻young
年niánage轻qīngyoung
主谓Subject + predicate
化huàbecome

年轻化 pairs 年轻 'young' with 化 'become' to indicate a process of becoming younger.

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
禾禾héwheat; grain
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén年nián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

年 pairs 禾 (grain) with 人, which gives the sound. Its original meaning was harvest, and it later came to mean a year.

Open 年 →

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 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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