传奇式 (chuán qí shì) — legendary style; legendary type

Definition

Used before a noun to mean 'legendary' in style or character — like English "of legendary proportions". Often implies something dramatic, larger-than-life, or hard to believe.

adjective
legendary stylelegendary type

Examples

  • 传奇式。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng jiǎng shù le yí gè chuán qí shì de ài qíng gù shi.
    This movie tells a legendary love story.
  • 传奇式，。
    Tā de jīng lì kān chēng chuán qí shì, lìng rén nán yǐ zhì xìn.
    His experience can be called legendary, making it hard to believe.
  • 传奇式。
    Zhè zuò gǔ chéng bǎo liú zhe chuán qí shì de jiàn zhù fēng gé.
    This ancient city retains a legendary architectural style.

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.

传奇legend
传chuántransmit奇qístrange
动宾Verb + object
式shìstyle

传奇 means legend and 式 means style, so it has the style of a legend.

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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
大大dàbig; great
Sound part声符shēngfú
可
可kě奇
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

奇 pairs 大 (big; great) with 可, a sound part.

Open 奇 →

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
工工gōngwork
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì式shì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

式 pairs 工, meaning work, with 弋, which gives the sound.

Open 式 →

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