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还原 (huán yuán) — to restore to the original state; to reconstruct (an event or scene); reduction (chemistry)

Definition

Spans three uses: restoring something to its original state, reconstructing a past scene or event, and the chemistry term 'reduction'. 复原 overlaps with the first sense but also covers recovering from illness; 再现 focuses only on reproducing a scene.

verb
to restore to the original stateto reconstruct (an event or scene)reduction (chemistry)

Examples

  • 还原。
    Tā men nǔ lì huán yuán le huā píng yuán lái de yàng zi.
    They worked hard to restore the vase to its original appearance.
  • 还原。
    Jǐng chá huán yuán le shì gù fā shēng de jīng guò.
    The police reconstructed the sequence of the accident.
  • ，还原。
    Zài huà xué kè shàng, wǒ men xué xí le rú hé huán yuán jīn shǔ.
    In chemistry class, we learned how to reduce metals.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

还háireturn
原yuánoriginal

还 means return and 原 means original, so the word pictures returning something to its original state.

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 還; 还 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
睘
睘qióng還hái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 還 pairs 辵 (walk) with 睘 as a sound part for 'go back; return'; the simplified 还 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 还 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

原 combines 泉 (spring) and 厂 (cliff), picturing a spring bursting from a cliff-side, which gives the sense of origin or source.

Open 原 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Change & ProcessPhysics & Chemistry

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