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代表性 (dài biǎo xìng) — representativeness; representative quality

Definition

Abstract noun meaning 'representativeness' — the quality of standing for or reflecting a larger group. Often follows 有 / 缺乏, as in 有代表性 ('typical/representative') vs the concrete noun 代表 ('representative, delegate').

noun
representativenessrepresentative quality

Examples

  • 代表性，。
    Zhè ge yàng běn de dài biǎo xìng bú gòu qiáng, wú fǎ fǎn yìng zhěng tǐ qíng kuàng.
    The representativeness of this sample is insufficient to reflect the whole situation.
  • 代表性。
    Tā zài huì yì shàng de fā yán hěn yǒu dài biǎo xìng.
    His speech at the meeting was very representative.
  • 代表性。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō shì nà ge shí dài wén xué zuò pǐn de dài biǎo xìng.
    This novel is representative of the literary works of that era.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

代表representative
代dàiact for表biǎoexpress
联合Coordinate
性xìngquality

代表 means to stand for something and 性 means quality, together giving the quality of being representative.

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì代dài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 代, 亻 shows a person, and 弋 gives the sound.

Open 代 →

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

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Open 表 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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