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借鉴 (jiè jiàn) — to draw on (others' experience); to learn from (how others do things)

Definition

借鉴 means to learn from or draw on others' methods, experience, or styles. Pairs with 经验/做法; more about adopting a model than 借用 (which is borrowing a concrete object) or 吸取 (which is absorbing lessons/wisdom internally).

verb
to draw on (others' experience)to learn from (how others do things)

Examples

  • 借鉴。
    Wǒ men kě yǐ jiè jiàn tā men de chéng gōng jīng yàn.
    We can draw on their successful experience.
  • 借鉴。
    Zhè ge shè jì jiè jiàn le chuán tǒng jiàn zhù de fēng gé.
    This design draws on the style of traditional architecture.
  • 借鉴。
    Tā de zuò fǎ hěn zhí dé jiè jiàn.
    His approach is well worth learning from.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

借jièborrow
鉴jiàncompare

借 gives borrowing and 鉴 gives comparing, so the sense is drawing on others' experience.

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rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
昔
昔xī借jiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

借 combines 人, a person, with 昔, which shows the sound.

Open 借 →

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 鑑; 鉴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān鑑jiàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 鑑 pairs 金, showing metal, with 監 for sound; the simplified 鉴 is a later abbreviation, not the source of this shape.

Open 鉴 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6School & EducationThinking & Cognition

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