熟稔 (shú rěn) — (formal, literary) to know someone or something very well; to be intimately familiar with

Definition

Formal/literary verb meaning 'to know something or someone intimately' — much stronger and more written than 熟悉, and not for casual acquaintance. Typically takes an object (e.g. 此行业, 彼此).

verb
(formal, literary) to know someone or something very wellto be intimately familiar with

Examples

  • 熟稔,。
    Tā yǔ wǒ shú rěn shù shí nián, shēn zhī wǒ de xìng gé.
    He has known me very well for decades and deeply understands my personality.
  • 熟稔。
    Zhǐ yǒu shú rěn cǐ háng yè de rén cái néng shèng rèn zhè xiàng gōng zuò.
    Only those who are intimately familiar with this industry are qualified for this job.
  • 熟稔,。
    Liǎng rén shú rěn duō nián, bǐ cǐ háo wú mì mì.
    The two have known each other very well for years, with no secrets between them.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

熟shúfamiliar

熟 “familiar” and 稔 “ripe” combine to mean know someone well.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

熟 combines 孰 (cooked; ripe) with 灬 (fire), showing food cooked with fire.

Open 熟 →

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
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
念
念niàn稔rěn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

稔 combines 禾 (grain) with 念, which provides the sound.

Open 稔 →

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