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排列 (pái liè) — to arrange (in order); (mathematics) permutation; to permute

Definition

排列 emphasizes putting things in a deliberate order (often a fixed sequence, including math 'permutation'). 安排 focuses on planning and scheduling people/tasks, not physical or numerical ordering.

verb
to arrange (in order)(mathematics) permutationto permute

Examples

  • 排列。
    Qǐng bǎ zhè xiē míng zì àn zì mǔ shùn xù pái liè.
    Please arrange these names in alphabetical order.
  • 排列。
    Tóng xué men zài cāo chǎng shàng pái liè chéng le yì pái.
    The students formed a row on the playground.
  • ，排列。
    Shù xué zhōng, wǒ men cháng cháng pái liè shù zì lái yán jiū guī lǜ.
    In mathematics, we often arrange numbers to study patterns.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

排páiarrange
列lièline up

“排” and “列” both mean lining up or setting things out, giving the sense of arrange in order.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
非
非fēi排pái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

排 uses 扌 (hand) to show arranging something with the hand, and 非 for the sound; this gives the sense of placing things in a line.

Open 排 →

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

列 combines 歹, drawn as skeletal remains, and 刀, a knife, to depict tearing apart.

Open 列 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 4MathOrder & Arrangement

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