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排练 (pái liàn) — to rehearse

Definition

排练 means 'to rehearse' — running through a performance (play, concert, speech) end-to-end. Unlike 练习 (general practice of any skill), it's specifically for staged events with a full run-through.

verb
to rehearse

Examples

  • 排练。
    Wǒ men míng tiān xià wǔ sān diǎn kāi shǐ pái liàn.
    We start rehearsing at 3 PM tomorrow.
  • 排练。
    Yǎn yuán men zhèng zài jù chǎng lǐ pái liàn.
    The actors are rehearsing in the theater.
  • 排练。
    Tā men pái liàn le yí gè xiǎo shí cái xiū xi.
    They rehearsed for an hour before taking a break.

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
练liànpractice

排练 joins 排 (arrange) and 练 (practice), together meaning to arrange and practice a performance.

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 →

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 練; 练 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
柬
柬jiǎn練liàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 練 has 糸, silk, and 柬, which gives the sound. The simplified 练 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not historical.

Open 练 →
Appears in
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