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熟透 (shú tòu) — fully ripe; thoroughly cooked; (figuratively) very familiar with

Definition

Adds 透 to 熟 for emphasis: a state pushed to the extreme — fully cooked/ripe, or (figuratively) something learned or practiced to the point of total mastery.

verb
fully ripethoroughly cooked(figuratively) very familiar with

Examples

  • 熟透。
    Zhè xiē táo zi dōu shú tòu le.
    These peaches are all fully ripe.
  • 熟透。
    Ròu yǐ jīng zhǔ shú tòu le.
    The meat is thoroughly cooked.
  • 熟透。
    Zhè piān kè wén wǒ bèi shú tòu le.
    I have thoroughly memorized this text.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

熟shúripe
透tòuthoroughly

熟 ripe and 透 thoroughly combine to mean fully ripe.

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
辵辵chuòwalking
Sound part声符shēngfú
秀
秀xiù透tòu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 透 has 辵, a walking part, and 秀, which provides the sound.

Open 透 →
Appears in
Food (General)

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