旧貌 (jiù mào) — old look, former appearance

Definition

Literary noun for 'former appearance' — used almost only in the set phrase 旧貌换新颜 ('old look giving way to a new one'). In everyday speech, say 以前的样子 or 原来的样子 instead.

noun
old lookformer appearance

Examples

  • 旧貌。
    Zhè zuò chéng shì de jiù mào yǐ jīng hěn shǎo le.
    The former appearance of this city is now very little.
  • ，旧貌。
    Duō nián yǐ hòu, zhè lǐ hái shì bǎo liú zhe yuán lái de jiù mào.
    Years later, this place still retains its former appearance.
  • 旧貌。
    Tā men nǔ lì huī fù zhè xiē lǎo fáng zi de jiù mào.
    They strive to restore the former appearance of these old houses.

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.

旧jiùold/former
貌màoappearance

旧 (old/former) with 貌 (appearance) gives a former look.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 舊; 旧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雈雈huánowl
Sound part声符shēngfú
臼
臼jiù舊jiù
Same sound today

The traditional form of 旧 is 舊, which shows 雈, an owl, above 臼, which gives the sound.

Open 旧 →

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
皃皃màolooks
Sound part声符shēngfú
豹
豹bào貌
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

貌 uses 皃, an older picture of a face, to show looks, and 豹 as a sound part.

Open 貌 →

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