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追溯 (zhuī sù) — (figurative) to trace back to, to date from; (literal) to go upstream

Definition

追溯 (zhuīsù) means 'to trace back' — following the history or origin of something to its source. More focused on historical/origin tracing than 追踪 ('to track/pursue' a current target), and more formal than 追.

verb
(figurative) to trace back toto date from(literal) to go upstream

Examples

  • 追溯。
    Zhè xiàng chuán tǒng kě yǐ zhuī sù dào sòng cháo.
    This tradition can be traced back to the Song Dynasty.
  • 追溯。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài zhuī sù zhè zhǒng jí bìng de qǐ yuán.
    Scientists are tracing the origin of this disease.
  • 追溯，。
    zhuī sù Lì shǐ de cháng hé, wǒ men kě yǐ fā xiàn hěn duō zhì huì.
    Tracing the long river of history, we can discover much wisdom.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

追zhuīpursue
溯sùgo upstream

追 suggests pursuing, 溯 suggests going upstream to the source; together they mean tracing something back to its origin.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòmovement
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂤
𠂤𠂤追zhuī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 辶 part shows movement, while 𠂤 gives the sound, for the sense of moving after or pursuing.

Open 追 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
朔
朔shuò溯
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

溯 has 氵 (water) on the left and 朔 on the right; 朔 gives the sound.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9History

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