传记 (zhuàn jì) — biography

Definition

传记 (zhuànjì) is a biography of someone else, usually written by a different author. Contrast with 回忆录, a 'memoir' written by the subject in first person.

noun
biography
Measure word · 篇, 部

Examples

  • 传记。
    Zhè běn zhuàn jì jiǎng shù le yí wèi huà jiā de gù shi.
    This biography tells the story of a painter.
  • 传记。
    Tā huā le yì nián shí jiān xiě zì jǐ de zhuàn jì.
    He spent a year writing his own biography.
  • 传记。
    Zhè bù zhuàn jì xiáng xì jì lù le nà ge shí dài de biàn qiān.
    This biography records in detail the changes of that era.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

传chuánrecord
记jìrecord

传 and 记 both mean to record, so the meaning is a recorded account of a life.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 記; 记 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech; words
Sound part声符shēngfú
己
己jǐ記jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 記 pairs 言 (speech; words) with 己 as a sound part; the simplified 记 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 记 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Literature & Poetry

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