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减慢 (jiǎn màn) — to slow down

Definition

verb
to slow down

Examples

  • 减慢，。
    Qǐng jiǎn màn chē sù, qián miàn yǒu wān dào.
    Please slow down the car; there's a curve ahead.
  • 减慢。
    Zuì jìn jīng jì zēng zhǎng jiǎn màn le xǔ duō.
    Economic growth has slowed down a lot recently.
  • 减慢，。
    Tā jiǎn màn jiǎo bù, huí tóu kàn le kàn.
    He slowed his pace and looked back.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

减jiǎnreduce
慢mànslow

减 means reduce and 慢 means slow, describing reducing speed until something is slow.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 減; 减 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 減 has 氵, water, and 咸, a seal: sealing off a stream of water lessens its flow. The simplified 减 is a later abbreviation.

Open 减 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
曼
曼màn慢màn
Same sound today

慢 pairs 忄 (heart) with 曼 (màn). The heart part points to a manner or sluggish behavior, while 曼’s meaning “long, extended” adds the sense of taking a long time.

Open 慢 →
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