西式 (xī shì) — Western style

Definition

noun
Western style
Easily confused

Examples

  • 西式。
    Zhè jiā jiǔ diàn tí gōng xī shì zǎo cān.
    This hotel offers Western-style breakfast.
  • 西式，。
    Tā xǐ huan xī shì hūn lǐ, chuān bái sè hūn shā.
    She likes Western-style weddings, wearing a white wedding dress.
  • 西式。
    Zhè zuò chéng shì de jiàn zhù róng hé le zhōng shì yǔ xī shì.
    The architecture of this city blends Chinese style and Western style.

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.

西xīwest
式shìstyle

“西” is west and “式” is style, making Western style.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 西 →

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
工工gōngwork
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì式shì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

式 pairs 工, meaning work, with 弋, which gives the sound.

Open 式 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.