节律 (jié lǜ) — prosodic (relating to the rhythm and intonation of speech); rhythmic (pertaining to regular, repeating patterns in movement or processes)

Definition

Academic word for 'rhythmic' — used in linguistics, music, and biology to describe regular, repeating patterns (intonation, tempo, biological cycles).

adjective
prosodic (relating to the rhythm and intonation of speech)rhythmic (pertaining to regular, repeating patterns in movement or processes)

Examples

  • 节律。
    Yǔ yán de jié lǜ tè zhēng bāo kuò zhòng yīn hé yǔ diào.
    Prosodic features of language include stress and intonation.
  • 节律。
    Yīn yuè hé wǔ dǎo dōu yī lài yán gé de jié lǜ.
    Both music and dance rely on strict rhythm.
  • 节律。
    Rén tǐ nèi de shēng wù jié lǜ huì yǐng xiǎng shuì mián zhōu qī.
    The body's biological rhythms affect sleep cycles.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

节jiérhythm
律lǜrule

节 and 律 together mean a steady, repeating rhythm.

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 節; 节 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺮Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
即
即jí節jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 節 pairs ⺮ (bamboo) with 即, which gives the sound; the bamboo part points to a node of bamboo. The simplified 节 is a later abbreviation.

Open 节 →

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
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
聿
聿yù律lǜ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

律 puts 彳 beside 聿: 彳 is the part tied to the meaning, and 聿 is the part tied to the sound.

Open 律 →

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