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较真 (jiào zhēn) — nitpicky; overly meticulous; insisting on strict accuracy (often unnecessarily)

Definition

A colloquial adjective meaning 'nitpicky' — insisting on every small detail being exactly right, often unnecessarily. Often used with 太 or 别 to comment on someone being overly fussy.

adjective
nitpickyoverly meticulousinsisting on strict accuracy (often unnecessarily)

Examples

  • 较真，。
    Tā zhè ge rén tài jiào zhēn le, lián biāo diǎn fú hào dōu yào gǎi.
    He is too nitpicky; he even has to change the punctuation marks.
  • 较真，。
    Zài gōng zuò shàng jiào zhēn yì diǎn bú shì huài shì, dàn bié tài guò fèn.
    Being meticulous at work isn't a bad thing, but don't overdo it.
  • 较真，。
    Nǐ bú yòng zhè me jiào zhēn, dà jiā zhǐ shì suí biàn liáo liáo.
    You don't need to be so nitpicky; everyone is just chatting casually.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

较jiàocompare
真zhēntruth

较 means to compare or contest, and 真 points to truth or exactness.

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 較; 较 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūvehicle
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo較jiào
Same sound today

In the traditional form 較, 車 (vehicle) gives the sense and 交 gives the sound; the simplified 较 is a later abbreviation.

Open 较 →

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
貝貝bèicowrie; shell
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂈
𠂈𠂈真zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

真 pairs 貝 (cowrie shell, used for the meaning) with 𠂈, which gave the sound and originally drew a headlong fall.

Open 真 →
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