沾边儿 (zhān biān r) — (colloquial) to have a connection; to be relevant; to be involved (usually used in negative)

Definition

A colloquial verb meaning 'to be relevant / connected to', used mostly in the negative (不沾边儿 = 'nothing to do with it', 'off the mark'). Applies to remarks, facts, or people tangentially linked to a topic.

verb
(colloquial) to have a connectionto be relevantto be involved (usually used in negative)

Examples

  • 沾边儿。
    Tā shuō de gēn zhè jiàn shì wán quán bù zhān biān r.
    What he said is completely irrelevant to this matter.
  • 沾边儿。
    Nǐ zhè huà yì diǎn r dōu bù zhān biān r.
    Your comment doesn't hit the mark at all.
  • 沾边儿？
    Zhè ge wèn tí gēn wǒ de zhuān yè zhān biān r ma?
    Does this question relate to my field at all?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

沾边
沾zhāntouch边biānedge
动宾Verb + object
儿érrhotic

沾 'touch' and 边 'edge' give the sense of touching an edge, hence relevance; 儿 only adds the r sound.

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn沾zhān
Same sound today

The left part 水 is water, so the shape fits meanings like moisten and soak; the right part 占 gives the sound.

Open 沾 →

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 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →

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

The shape 儿 is a simple drawing of a standing person, used as an alternate form of the character for person.

Open 儿 →

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