任选 (rèn xuǎn) — to choose freely; to pick any (one) at will

Definition

verb
to choose freelyto pick any (one) at will

Examples

  • 任选。
    Nǐ kě yǐ rèn xuǎn yì zhǒng yán sè.
    You can choose any color.
  • 任选。
    Xué shēng kě yǐ cóng liè biǎo zhōng rèn xuǎn sān mén kè.
    Students can pick three courses from the list.
  • 。
    Kè rén kě yǐ cóng cài dān shàng rèn xuǎn zì jǐ xǐ huan de cài.
    Guests can pick whatever dish they like from the menu.

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.

任rènfreely
选xuǎnchoose

任 means freely or any, and 选 choose, so to pick any at will.

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
壬
壬rén任rèn
Same sound today

任 pairs 亻, a person, with 壬, which may picture a shoulder pole turned sideways.

Open 任 →

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 選; 选 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
巽
巽xùn選xuǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 選 combines 止 with 巽, which gives the sound xùn; its sense of choosing is explained as rejecting or sending someone back. Simplified 选 is a shorthand.

Open 选 →

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