简洁 (jiǎn jié) — concise, succinct, pithy | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

For writing or speech: 'concise, succinct' — focused on using few words with no waste. 简练 emphasizes practiced polish, 简要 is briefer in length.

adjective

concisesuccinctpithy

Examples

简洁，。
Zhè piān zuò wén xiě dé fēi cháng jiǎn jié, méi yǒu yí jù fèi huà.
This essay is written very concisely, without a single unnecessary sentence.
简洁，。
Tā de yǎn jiǎng hěn jiǎn jié, zhǐ yòng shí fēn zhōng jiù bǎ zhòng diǎn shuō qīng chǔ le.
His speech was very concise; he made the main points clear in just ten minutes.
简洁。
Wǒ men xū yào yí gè jiǎn jié de fāng àn lái shuō míng zhè ge jì huà.
We need a concise plan to explain this project.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

简 (simple) and 洁 (clean) combine to mean simple and neat, hence concise.

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 簡; 简 is its simplified writing.

竹間簡

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

間

閒xián簡jiǎn

Same sound today

In the traditional form 簡, 竹 (bamboo) is paired with 間 (also written 閒) as a sound part; the simplified 简 is a later shorthand.

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 潔; 洁 is its simplified writing.

氵絜潔

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

絜

絜jié潔jié

Same sound today

The traditional form 潔 pairs 氵, a water part, with 絜, which gives the sound; the simplified 洁 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Good & Bad

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