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缩写 (suō xiě) — to abridge, to shorten (a text or work)

Definition

Used both as a verb ('to abridge, shorten a text') and as a noun ('abbreviation'). The verb takes 把/将 to mark what is shortened and 成/为 to mark the target length.

verb
to abridgeto shorten (a text or work)

Examples

  • ，缩写。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng tài cháng le, xū yào suō xiě yí xià.
    This article is too long and needs to be abridged.
  • 缩写。
    Lǎo shī ràng wǒ men bǎ kè wén suō xiě chéng liǎng bǎi zì.
    The teacher asked us to abridge the text to 200 characters.
  • 缩写，。
    Tā suō xiě le nà běn xiǎo shuō, chū bǎn le yí gè jiǎn huà bǎn.
    He abridged that novel and published a simplified version.

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.

缩suōshorten
写xiěwriting

缩写 joins 缩, shorten, with 写, writing, to mean making a text into a shorter 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 縮; 缩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìstring, thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
宿
宿sù縮suō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 縮 pairs 糸 (string, thread) with 宿, which gives the sound; the simplified 缩 is a shorthand.

Open 缩 →

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 寫; 写 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
舄
舄xì寫xiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 寫 combines 宀 with 舄 for the sound; this note is about 寫, not the simplified 写.

Open 写 →
Appears in
Reading & Writing

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