简述 (jiǎn shù) — brief summary; sketch; concise account | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A concise written summary of something, shorter and more focused than a full account. 简述 can also be used as a verb meaning 'to summarize briefly'.

noun

brief summarysketchconcise account

Examples

简述，。
Qǐng xiě yí gè jiǎn shù, jiè shào nǐ de yán jiū.
Please write a brief summary introducing your research.
简述。
Tā de jiǎn shù hán gài le suǒ yǒu guān jiàn diǎn.
His summary covered all the key points.
简述，。
Zhè ge jiǎn shù zhǐ yǒu liǎng duàn, fēi cháng jiǎn jié.
This summary is only two paragraphs, very concise.

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jiǎnconcise

述shùaccount

“简” means concise and “述” means account, together a brief summary.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

朮

朮zhú述shù

Same sound today

述 combines 辵, a walking radical, with 朮, which gives the sound; the walking part belongs to the meaning.

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