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贴切 (tiē qiè) — (adjective) apt, fitting, appropriate (of a word, translation, analogy, or description)

Definition

贴切 (tiē qiè) describes language itself — a word, translation, or analogy that fits precisely. Stronger and more about wording than 合适 ('suitable for the situation') or 得体 ('proper for the occasion').

adjective
aptfittingappropriate (of a word, translation, analogy, or description)

Examples

  • 贴切。
    Zhè ge chéng yǔ yòng dé shí fēn tiē qiè.
    This idiom is used very aptly.
  • 贴切，。
    Tā de xíng róng fēi cháng tiē qiè, ràng wǒ yí xià zi jiù míng bai le.
    His description was so apt that I understood it immediately.
  • 贴切？
    Nǐ jué de nǎ ge fān yì gèng tiē qiè?
    Which translation do you think is more appropriate?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

贴tiēfit closely
切qièprecise

'贴' fit closely and '切' precise together mean apt.

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 貼; 贴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn貼tiē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貼 pairs 貝, a shell, with 占 as a sound part; the simplified 贴 is a later shorthand.

Open 贴 →

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
七
七qī切qiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 切, the 刀 (knife) part is joined to 七, which gives the sound.

Open 切 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Good & Bad

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