提要 (tí yào) — summary; abstract | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal written noun for a 'summary' or 'abstract' — the condensed overview at the front of a report, article, or book, not casual chitchat.

noun

summaryabstract

提要。
Qǐng gěi wǒ yí fèn jīn tiān de xīn wén tí yào.
Please give me a copy of today's news summary.
提要，。
Zhè běn shū de tí yào xiě dé hěn hǎo, xī yǐn wǒ dú wán le zhěng běn.
The abstract of this book is well written and made me finish the whole book.
提要。
Huì yì tí yào jiāng zài míng tiān fā gěi suǒ yǒu chéng yuán.
The meeting summary will be sent to all members tomorrow.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

提tíbring out

要yàoessentials

提 means to bring out and 要 means the essentials, so the word names a summary of key points.

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.

扌是提

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

是

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

提 shows 扌 (hand) beside 是, which gives the pronunciation.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

要 began as a drawing of a person with both hands pointing to the waist.

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