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锻造 (duàn zào) — to forge (metal); to forge (figuratively, e.g., friendship or team spirit)

Definition

锻造 literally means forging metal with heat and pressure (as in a blacksmith's forge). It is also widely used figuratively for shaping abstract things like character, will, or relationships through sustained effort.

verb
to forge (metal)to forge (figuratively, e.g., friendship or team spirit)

Examples

  • 锻造。
    Gōng rén zài gōng chǎng lǐ duàn zào jīn shǔ líng jiàn.
    Workers forge metal parts in the factory.
  • 锻造。
    Tā men shí nián de hé zuò duàn zào le láo gù de yǒu yì.
    Their ten years of cooperation forged a solid friendship.
  • 锻造。
    Lǐng dǎo zhě tōng guò yán gé de xùn liàn duàn zào le tuán duì jīng shén.
    The leader forged team spirit through strict training.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

锻duànforge
造zàomake

"锻" and "造" both describe working metal into shape, giving the sense of forging.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鍛; 锻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
釒Written in full as金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
段
段duàn鍛duàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 鍛 pairs 釒, a metal part, with 段, which gives the sound; the simplified 锻 is a shorthand.

Open 锻 →

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chuòto walk
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
屮
屮chè造zào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Its origin is unclear, but early forms of 造 include 辵 (to walk) and 口, with 屮 as a sound part, and mean go or arrive.

Open 造 →
Appears in
Industry & Manufacturing

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