描画 (miáo huà) — to depict, to portray (in visual art or words)

Definition

描画 (miáohuà) means to depict or portray — by drawing, painting, or in words. It emphasizes carefully rendering an image or scene, more literary than the plain 画 ('draw/paint').

verb
to depictto portray (in visual art or words)

Examples

  • 描画。
    Zhè fú huà miáo huà chū le dà zì rán de měi lì.
    This painting depicts the beauty of nature.
  • 描画。
    Zuò jiā yòng shēng dòng de yǔ yán miáo huà le rén wù de nèi xīn.
    The writer used vivid language to portray the character's inner world.
  • 描画。
    Tā shàn cháng miáo huà shēng huó zhōng de xì jié.
    He is skilled at depicting details in life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

描miáotrace/draw
画huàdraw/paint

描 and 画 both mean to draw or depict, so together they mean to portray.

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
苗
苗miáo描miáo
Same sound today

The hand part 手 is on the left, showing the action is done with the hand. The right part 苗 gives the sound.

Open 描 →

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 畫; 画 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùbrush
Sound part声符shēngfú
規
規guī畫huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 畫 pairs 聿, a brush, with 規 for its sound. The simplified 画 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the old parts.

Open 画 →

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