从艺 (cóng yì) — to work as an artist, to pursue a career in the… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

从艺 means to pursue a career as a performing or creative artist — a formal, written-style verb (not everyday speech). Pairs with 从小, 多年 to emphasize a lifelong professional path.

verb

to work as an artistto pursue a career in the arts

Examples

从艺。
Tā cóng xiǎo jiù jué dìng cóng yì.
He decided to pursue a career in the arts from a young age.
从艺。
Zhè wèi yǎn yuán yǐ jīng cóng yì sān shí nián le.
This actor has been working as an artist for thirty years.
从艺。
cóng yì Xū yào hěn dà de rè qíng hé jiān chí.
Pursuing a career in the arts requires great passion and persistence.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

从cóngengage in

从 means engage in and 艺 means art, so the word says to pursue a career in the arts.

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 從; 从 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

从

从cóng從cóng

Same sound today

The traditional form 從 pairs 辵 (walk) with 从, which gives the sound; the character was originally written 从.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

艹乙艺

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎo

Sound part声符shēngfú

乙

乙yǐ艺yì

Same sound today

In 艺, the top 艹 points to plants, and the lower 乙 gives the sound.

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