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关闭 (guān bì) — to close, to shut (a door, window, etc.); to shut down, to close (a business, factory, etc.)

Definition

关闭 is a formal verb for closing/shutting things or shutting down operations — more written than the everyday 关, and works for both doors and businesses (compare 开 for 'open').

verb
to closeto shut (a door, window, etc.)to shut downto close (a business, factory, etc.)

Examples

  • 关闭。
    Qǐng bǎ diàn nǎo guān bì.
    Please shut down the computer.
  • 关闭。
    Nà jiā shāng diàn yǐ jīng guān bì le.
    That store has already closed down.
  • 关闭。
    Tā wàng le guān bì mén.
    He forgot to close the door.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

关guānclose
闭bìshut

关 and 闭 both mean to shut or close, so together they mean closing a door or shutting down.

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 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méndoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢇅
𢇅𢇅關guān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Open 关 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 閉; 闭 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 材材cáimaterial; timber

The traditional form 閉 pairs 門 (door) with 材 (material; timber); the simplified 闭 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 闭 →
Appears in
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