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价值连城 (jià zhí lián chéng) — invaluable, priceless (idiom)

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'worth several cities' — used for objects (art, relics, gems) that are absolutely priceless, not for people. Stronger and more literary than just saying 非常贵.

idiom
invaluablepriceless (idiom)

Examples

  • 价值连城。
    Zhè jiàn jià zhí lián chéng de wén wù bèi bǎo cún zài guó jiā bó wù guǎn lǐ.
    This invaluable cultural relic is preserved in the national museum.
  • 价值连城。
    Tā shōu cáng le yì fú jià zhí lián chéng de gǔ huà.
    He collected a priceless ancient painting.
  • ，价值连城。
    Duì yú shōu cáng jiā lái shuō, zhè zhǒng jià zhí lián chéng de bǎo shí shì nán dé de zhēn bǎo.
    For collectors, this kind of invaluable gemstone is a rare treasure.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

价值value
价jiàprice值zhíworth
联合Coordinate
连城connected cities
连liánconnected城chéngcity
偏正Modifier + head

价值 is the worth of something, and 连城 refers to a chain of connected cities, so the thing is worth many cities.

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rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
介
介jiè价jiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

价 pairs 人 (person) with 介, which gives the sound.

Open 价 →

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rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
直
直zhí值zhí
Same sound today

值 is made from 亻 (written in full as 人, a person) and 直, with 直 giving the sound.

Open 值 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 連; 连 is its simplified writing.

  • 辶辵chuòto walk
  • 車車jūchariot

The traditional form 連 joins 辶 (walk) and 車 (chariot) to show a man-drawn carriage; this note is about 連, not the simplified 连.

Open 连 →

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
土土tǔsoil
Sound part声符shēngfú
成
成chéng城chéng
Same sound today

城 pairs 土 (soil) with 成 as a sound part, because city walls were originally made of stamped earth.

Open 城 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesGood & Bad

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