重写 (chóng xiě) — rewrite

Definition

verb
rewrite

Examples

  • 重写。
    Lǎo shī ràng wǒ chóng xiě zhè piān zuò wén.
    The teacher asked me to rewrite this essay.
  • 重写。
    Tā huā le sān tiān shí jiān chóng xiě le zhěng běn shū.
    He spent three days rewriting the entire book.
  • 重写,。
    Lì shǐ bù néng chóng xiě, dàn wǒ men kě yǐ cóng zhōng xué xí.
    History cannot be rewritten, but we can learn from it.

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.

写xiěwrite

"重" again and "写" write mean to write something again.

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
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →

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.

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.

Open 写 →

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