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趋势 (qū shì) — trend, tendency

Definition

趋势 is a formal noun for a large-scale 'trend' or 'tendency' over time (economic, social, technological). Compare 倾向 (also 'tendency' but often personal/inner inclination) and 潮流 ('fashion' — short-lived and cultural).

noun
trendtendency

Examples

  • 趋势。
    Jīng jì qū shì zhèng zài fā shēng biàn huà.
    The economic trend is changing.
  • 趋势。
    Zhè zhǒng qū shì yǐ jīng chí xù le hěn cháng shí jiān.
    This trend has lasted for a very long time.
  • 趋势。
    Shè huì qū shì hěn nán yù cè.
    Social trends are hard to predict.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

趋qūmove toward
势shìtendency

趋 means moving toward and 势 means a tendency or situation, so together they express a developing direction.

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 趨; 趋 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
芻
芻chú趨qū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 趨 pairs 走, a walking/running part, with 芻 as a sound part; the simplified 趋 is a later shorthand.

Open 趋 →

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 勢; 势 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìpower
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì勢shì
Same sound today

The traditional form 勢 combines 力, meaning power, with 埶 for the sound. The simplified 势 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 势 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Abstract Concepts

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