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浓妆艳抹 (nóng zhuāng yàn mā) — (of a woman) heavily made up and gaudily dressed; thick makeup and flashy attire

Definition

A vivid idiom for a woman wearing heavy, flashy makeup and gaudy clothing — carries a slightly negative or dramatic tone, not a neutral everyday look.

idiom
(of a woman) heavily made up and gaudily dressedthick makeup and flashy attire

Examples

  • 浓妆艳抹，。
    Tā nóng zhuāng yàn mā dì chū xiàn zài pài duì shàng, xī yǐn le suǒ yǒu rén de mù guāng.
    She appeared at the party heavily made up, attracting everyone's attention.
  • 浓妆艳抹，。
    Jīn tiān de yǎn yuán dōu shì nóng zhuāng yàn mā, fēi cháng yào yǎn.
    Today's actors are all heavily made up, very dazzling.
  • 浓妆艳抹，。
    Suī rán tā nóng zhuāng yàn mā, dàn yī rán yǎn gài bù liǎo yǎn zhōng de pí bèi.
    Although she's heavily made up, it still can't hide the tiredness in her eyes.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

浓妆heavy makeup
浓nóngthick妆zhuāngmakeup
偏正Modifier + head
艳抹gaudy applying
艳yàngorgeous抹mǒapply
偏正Modifier + head

浓妆 means thick makeup and 艳抹 means bright smearing, together describing elaborate dressing.

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 濃; 浓 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
農
農nóng濃nóng
Same sound today

The traditional form 濃 has 氵 as water and 農 as the sound part; this is the form described here.

Open 浓 →

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 妝; 妆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚfemale
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán妝zhuāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 妝 combines 女, meaning female, with 爿 as a sound part; this describes 妝, not the simplified 妆.

Open 妆 →

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 豔; 艳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
豐豐fēngabundant, great
Sound part声符shēngfú
盇
盇hé豔yàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 豔 pairs 豐 (abundant, great) with a sound component 盇; the simplified 艳 is a later abbreviation.

Open 艳 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
末
末mò抹mǒ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand component 手, showing an action done with the hand; the right part 末 gives the pronunciation.

Open 抹 →
Appears in
AppearanceIdioms & Set Phrases

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