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例行 (lì xíng) — to do as a routine; to conduct as a matter of routine

Definition

例行 is a formal prefix-like modifier meaning 'routine / as a matter of course' — used before activities (例行检查, 例行会议) to mark them as regular, scheduled, and often perfunctory. It is not a standalone verb and rarely appears alone.

verb
to do as a routineto conduct as a matter of routine

Examples

  • 例行。
    Jī chǎng ān jiǎn rén yuán zhèng zài jìn xíng lì xíng jiǎn chá.
    The airport security personnel are conducting a routine check.
  • 例行。
    Zhè zhǒng lì xíng huì yì wǎng wǎng méi shén me shí zhì nèi róng.
    This kind of routine meeting often has no substantive content.
  • ，。
    Tā shuō zhè zhǐ shì lì xíng gōng shì, bú bì tài rèn zhēn.
    He said this is just routine business; you don't need to take it too seriously.

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.

例lìroutine
行xíngdo

例 (routine) + 行 (do) means to do as a routine.

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rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
列
列liè例lì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

例 is built from 亻, which relates to people, and 列, which gives the sound.

Open 例 →

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

  • 彳彳chì
  • 亍亍chù

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

Open 行 →
Appears in
Daily Routine

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