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初步 (chū bù) — initial, preliminary, tentative

Definition

An adjective meaning 'preliminary' — modifies a noun (调查报告, 方案, 结果) to signal the work is early-stage and not final. Less broad than 开始 (a verb/event) and more concrete than 最初 (a noun for the initial period).

adjective
initialpreliminarytentative

Examples

  • 初步，。
    Jīng guò chū bù diào chá, wǒ men fā xiàn le wèn tí.
    After a preliminary investigation, we discovered the problem.
  • 初步，。
    Zhè zhǐ shì chū bù fāng àn, hái xū yào xiū gǎi.
    This is just a preliminary plan; it still needs revision.
  • 初步。
    chū bù Jié guǒ yǐ jīng chū lái le.
    The preliminary results are already out.

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.

初chūfirst
步bùstep

初 means first, and 步 means step; together it suggests an initial step or first stage.

Characters in this word

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

初 combines 衤 (clothes) and 刀 (knife), showing the start of making clothes by cutting cloth.

Open 初 →

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

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.

Open 步 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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