追述 (zhuī shù) — to recount (past events), to narrate (past happenings)

Definition

追述 (zhuīshù) means to recount or narrate past events in detail, often at length or with reflection — common in memoirs, historical writing, and reminiscence. It emphasizes looking back and telling, distinct from 描述 (plain 'to describe').

verb
to recount (past events)to narrate (past happenings)

Examples

  • 追述。
    Tā jīng cháng xiàng wǒ men zhuī shù nián qīng shí de jīng lì.
    He often recounts to us his experiences when he was young.
  • ，追述。
    Zài huí yì lù zhōng, zuò zhě xiáng xì zhuī shù le nà duàn lì shǐ.
    In the memoir, the author narrates that period of history in detail.
  • 追述，。
    Lǎo rén zhuī shù qǐ wǎng shì, yǎn zhōng shǎn zhe lèi guāng.
    The old man, recounting past events, had tears in his eyes.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

追zhuīretrospectively
述shùnarrate

追 (“retrospectively”) plus 述 (“narrate”) gives the sense of narrating past events.

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
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
朮
朮zhú述shù
Same sound today

述 combines 辵, a walking radical, with 朮, which gives the sound; the walking part belongs to the meaning.

Open 述 →

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