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简称 (jiǎn chēng) — abbreviation, short form; to be abbreviated to, to be called for short

Definition

简称 names the shortened form of a name (a noun) and the act of abbreviating (a verb: A 简称为 B). 省略 is to leave content out entirely; 缩短 is to make something shorter in length or time.

abbreviationshort formto be abbreviated toto be called for short

Examples

  • 简称UN。
    Lián hé guó jiǎn chēng wèi UN.
    The United Nations is abbreviated as UN.
  • 简称？
    Nǐ zhī dào zhè ge jī gòu de jiǎn chēng ma?
    Do you know the abbreviation of this organization?
  • 简称。
    Zhōng yāng diàn shì tái jiǎn chēng wèi yāng shì.
    China Central Television is abbreviated as CCTV (Yāngshì).

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

简jiǎnsimple
称chēngname/call

简 (simple) and 称 (name/call) combine to mean a short name or calling something by a short form.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhú
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.

Open 简 →

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 稱; 称 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hérice
Sound part声符shēngfú
爯
爯chēng稱chēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 稱 pairs 禾 (rice) with 爯, a part giving the sound; it is explained as measuring rice. The simplified 称 is a later shorthand.

Open 称 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Language

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