续订 (xù dìng) — to renew a subscription

Definition

verb

to renew a subscription

，续订。
Wǒ qù nián dìng de zá zhì kuài dào qī le, xū yào xù dìng.
The magazine I subscribed to last year is about to expire; I need to renew my subscription.
，续订。
Wǒ de huì yuán zī gé xià ge yuè dào qī, wǒ dǎ suàn xù dìng yì nián.
My membership expires next month, and I plan to renew it for one year.
续订。
Nín kě yǐ zài xiàn xù dìng nín dìng yuè de bào zhǐ.
You can renew your newspaper subscription online.

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.

续xùcontinue/renew

订dìngsubscribe/order

续 means continue and 订 means subscribe, so the word describes renewing a subscription.

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 續; 续 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìrope

Sound part声符shēngfú

𧶠

𧶠𧶠續xù

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 續 pairs 糸 (rope) with 𧶠 as the sound part; the simplified 续 is a later abbreviation.

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 訂; 订 is its simplified writing.

言丁訂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

Same sound today

The traditional form 訂 combines 言, related to speech, with 丁, which gives the sound; the simplified 订 is a later shorthand.