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节约 (jié yuē) — to economize; to save (resources); to conserve

Definition

节约 (jiéyuē) is a verb meaning to economize or conserve — typically used for resources, money, or effort. 节俭 is the adjective form ('a frugal person'); 节省 is a close synonym but pairs more naturally with money and time.

verb
to economizeto save (resources)to conserve

Examples

  • 节约，。
    Wǒ men yào jié yuē yòng shuǐ, bú yào làng fèi.
    We need to conserve water and not waste it.
  • 节约。
    Bà ba gào sù wǒ měi gè yuè dōu yào jié yuē yì diǎn qián.
    Dad tells me to economize a little every month.
  • 节约。
    Měi gè rén dōu yīng gāi jié yuē zī yuán.
    Everyone should conserve resources.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

节jiéeconomize
约yuērestrain

'节' and '约' both express restraint or economizing, so the word means to conserve resources.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 約; 约 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo約yuē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 約 uses 糸, a rope, for its meaning and 勺 for its sound; the simplified 约 is a later shorthand.

Open 约 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Finance & Banking

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