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裁剪 (cái jiǎn) — to cut out (fabric for a garment); to tailor; to edit out (unimportant parts of a manuscript, film, etc.)

Definition

Literally 'cut and trim', 裁剪 most concretely means cutting fabric to tailor a garment; extended to cutting or trimming away unwanted parts of a manuscript, film, or other work. Pairs with 布料 (fabric) and editorial/creative objects like 稿子 or 镜头.

verb
to cut out (fabric for a garment)to tailorto edit out (unimportant parts of a manuscript, film, etc.)

Examples

  • 裁剪。
    Zhè wèi lǎo cái feng zhèng zài cái jiǎn bù liào zuò qí páo.
    The old tailor is cutting out fabric to make a cheongsam.
  • 裁剪。
    Biān jí huā le sān tiān shí jiān cái jiǎn zhè piān gǎo zi.
    The editor spent three days trimming this manuscript.
  • 裁剪。
    Dǎo yǎn jué dìng cái jiǎn diào diàn yǐng zhōng duō yú de jìng tóu.
    The director decided to cut out the unnecessary shots in the film.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

裁cáicut
剪jiǎncut

裁 and 剪 both mean cut, together covering cutting and trimming fabric or editing.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢦏
𢦏𢦏裁cái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

裁 combines 衣 (clothing) with 𢦏, whose form is tied to a blade and an arrow, to show cutting fabric.

Open 裁 →

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
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
歬
歬qián剪jiǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 剪, 刀 is the knife part and 歬 gives the sound. After 前 came to replace 歬, another 刀 was added to 剪.

Open 剪 →
Appears in
ClothingCrafts & Handiwork

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