炼 (liàn) — to refine (skills, writing, etc.); to smelt (metal)
Definition
炼 (liàn) is the root verb: to smelt metal or to refine/temper something through heat or effort. Pairs with 磨 in the separable verb 磨炼 (móliàn, 'to steel oneself through hardship').
verb
to refine (skills, writing, etc.)to smelt (metal)
Examples
- 炼。Zhè jiā gōng chǎng měi tiān liàn hěn duō gāng.This factory smelts a lot of steel every day.
- 。Wǒ men chī de yóu xū yào jīng guò duō cì tí liàn.The oil we eat needs to go through multiple rounds of refining.
- 。Tā bú duàn mó liàn zì jǐ de gōu tōng néng lì.He constantly hones his communication skills.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 煉; 炼 is its simplified writing.
The simplified 炼 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 煉; in others (锻炼) it is 鍊.
Sound part声符shēngfú
柬
柬jiǎn煉liàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 煉 pairs 火 (fire) with 柬 as its sound part. The simplified 炼 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.
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