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秀雅 (xiù yǎ) — beautiful and elegant; refined and graceful

Definition

Literary, written-style adjective for 'elegant and refined' — used for a person's bearing, art, or clothing. Stronger and more formal than everyday 漂亮; closer in register to 优雅.

adjective
beautiful and elegantrefined and graceful

Examples

  • 秀雅，。
    Tā de qì zhì shí fēn xiù yǎ, ràng rén yí jiàn nán wàng.
    Her temperament is very elegant and refined, unforgettable at first sight.
  • 秀雅，。
    Zhè fú huà de bǐ chù xiù yǎ, chōng mǎn gǔ diǎn yùn wèi.
    The brushwork of this painting is elegant and full of classical charm.
  • 秀雅，。
    Tā chuān le yí jiàn xiù yǎ de qí páo, xiǎn de gé wài duān zhuāng.
    She wore an elegant qipao, appearing especially dignified.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

秀xiùgraceful
雅yǎrefined

秀 suggests graceful beauty, and 雅 suggests refinement, together meaning elegant and graceful.

Characters in this word

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

秀 pairs 禾 (rice plant) with 引 (to draw out flowers), showing a rice plant putting out flowers.

Open 秀 →

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
隹隹zhuīa short-tailed bird
Sound part声符shēngfú
牙
牙yá雅yǎ
Same sound today

雅 pairs 隹, a short-tailed bird, with 牙 as its sound part; the bird was a rook/crow, and the sense was extended to refined.

Open 雅 →
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