速写 (sù xiě) — sketch (quick drawing, especially from life); l…

Definition

noun

sketch (quick drawing, especially from life)literary sketch (short descriptive piece of writing)

Measure word · 幅

速写，。
Zhè wèi huà jiā shàn cháng rén wù sù xiě, jǐ fēn zhōng jiù néng huà chū yì fú.
This painter is good at figure sketches and can produce one in just a few minutes.
速写。
Tā de wén xué sù xiě shēng dòng dì miáo huì le shì jǐng shēng huó.
His literary sketches vividly depict street life.
速写。
Lǎo shī ràng wǒ men yòng sù xiě jì lù xiào yuán lǐ de chǎng jǐng.
The teacher asked us to use sketches to record scenes on campus.

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.

写xiědraw or write

速 means quick and 写 means to draw or write, so the sense is a quick sketch.

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

辵辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

束

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.

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 寫; 写 is its simplified writing.

宀舄寫

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀mián

Sound part声符shēngfú

舄

舄xì寫xiě

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 寫 combines 宀 with 舄 for the sound; this note is about 寫, not the simplified 写.

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