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曲线 (qū xiàn) — a curve; a curved line; (figurative) an indirect or roundabout approach (e.g., 曲线救国, 曲线的方式)

Definition

A 'curve' or indirect approach — use 曲线 when the indirectness is deliberate strategy (e.g. 曲线救国), not the neutral 'second-hand' sense of 二手 or the simple 'indirect' of 间接.

noun
a curvea curved line(figurative) an indirect or roundabout approach (e.g., 曲线救国, 曲线的方式)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 曲线。
    Zhè tiáo qū xiàn dài biǎo jīn nián xiāo shòu é de biàn huà.
    This curve represents this year's sales changes.
  • 曲线。
    Tā cǎi yòng qū xiàn de fāng shì shuō fú le duì fāng.
    He persuaded the other party in a roundabout way.
  • 曲线。
    Qǐng zài zhè zhāng zhǐ shàng huà yì tiáo qū xiàn.
    Please draw a curve on this piece of paper.

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.

曲qǔcurved
线xiànline

“曲” gives the sense of bent and “线” gives line, so the word means a curved line and can suggest an indirect way.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

曲 is drawn as a bent object, matching the meaning 'bend'.

Open 曲 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Shapes

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