递减 (dì jiǎn) — to decrease gradually, to decline progressively

Definition

Formal/literate verb meaning 'to decrease gradually step by step.' It emphasizes a steady, progressive decline rather than a sudden drop, and is more common in writing than 减少.

verb
to decrease graduallyto decline progressively

Examples

  • ，递减。
    Suí zhe shí jiān de tuī yí, chéng běn zhú jiàn dì jiǎn.
    As time goes by, costs gradually decrease.
  • 递减。
    Zhè ge dì qū de fàn zuì lǜ zhèng zài zhú nián dì jiǎn.
    The crime rate in this area is progressively decreasing year by year.
  • 递减。
    Wēn dù cóng shān dǐng dào shān jiǎo àn bǐ lì dì jiǎn.
    The temperature decreases proportionally from the mountaintop to the foot of the mountain.

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.

递dìstep by step
减jiǎndecrease

递 means step by step and 减 means decrease; together they describe a gradual decline.

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chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
弟
弟dì递dì
Same sound today

递 is built from 辶 (written in full as 辵) and 弟; 辶 is the meaning part and 弟 is the sound part.

Open 递 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 減; 减 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 減 has 氵, water, and 咸, a seal: sealing off a stream of water lessens its flow. The simplified 减 is a later abbreviation.

Open 减 →

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