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序曲 (xù qǔ) — (music) overture, prelude; (figurative) prelude, beginning

Definition

Literary/formal noun meaning 'overture' (a musical opening) or, by extension, the 'prelude' to a larger event. Pairs with figurative openings like 开幕词 or 计划, as in the examples.

noun
(music) overtureprelude(figurative) preludebeginning

Examples

  • 序曲。
    Yīn yuè huì de xù qǔ yóu yì zhī jiāo xiǎng yuè tuán yǎn zòu.
    The overture of the concert was performed by a symphony orchestra.
  • 序曲。
    Zhè cì huì yì de kāi mù cí zhǐ shì zhěng gè jì huà de xù qǔ.
    The opening speech of this meeting was only a prelude to the entire plan.
  • 序曲，。
    Gē jù de xù qǔ hěn duǎn, dàn fēi cháng dòng rén.
    The prelude of the opera is very short but extremely moving.

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.

序xùpreface
曲qǔtune

序曲 is a 曲 associated with 序, a preface-like tune, hence an overture or beginning.

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
广广guǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
予
予yǔ序xù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

序 combines 广 and 予; 予 gives the sound, while 广 marks the meaning.

Open 序 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

曲 is drawn as a bent object, matching the meaning 'bend'.

Open 曲 →
Appears in
Music

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