练拳 (liàn quán) — to practice boxing, to train in boxing

Definition

A verb-object phrase: 练 ('practice') + 拳 ('fist/boxing'). 拳 is shorthand for 拳击 or 太极拳, so 练拳 = practice Chinese boxing (commonly 太极拳 at a park). Insert other words between 练 and 拳 (e.g. 练了一年拳).

verb
to practice boxingto train in boxing

Examples

  • 练拳。
    Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu qù gōng yuán liàn quán.
    He goes to the park every morning to practice boxing.
  • ，。
    Wǒ yǐ jīng liàn le yì nián quán le, jìn bù hěn dà.
    I have practiced boxing for a year now and have improved a lot.
  • 。
    Tā měi zhōu liàn sān cì quán.
    He practices boxing three times a week.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

练liànpractice
拳quánboxing

练 (practice) and 拳 (boxing) combine to mean practicing boxing movements.

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 練; 练 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
柬
柬jiǎn練liàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 練 has 糸, silk, and 柬, which gives the sound. The simplified 练 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not historical.

Open 练 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
龹
龹龹拳quán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拳 pairs 手 (hand) with 龹 for sound. The hand part shows that the meaning is a form of hand, such as a fist.

Open 拳 →

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