刻板 (kè bǎn) — stereotyped, rigid, inflexible | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Used to describe people, thinking, or methods that are rigid and stereotyped, lacking flexibility. As a verb here it functions as an adjective meaning 'inflexible / set in one's ways.'

verb

stereotypedrigidinflexible

Examples

刻板。
Hěn duō guǎng gào dōu chōng mǎn xìng bié kè bǎn yìn xiàng.
Many advertisements are full of gender stereotypes.
刻板，。
Tā de sī wéi tài kè bǎn le, bù kěn jiē shòu xīn xiǎng fǎ.
His thinking is too rigid; he refuses to accept new ideas.
刻板。
Lǎo shī tí xǐng wǒ men yào bì miǎn kè bǎn de jiào xué fāng fǎ.
The teacher reminded us to avoid stereotyped teaching methods.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

“刻” means to cut or carve and “板” means a board, so the image is cutting a printing block and hence a fixed, rigid manner.

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.

亥刂刻

Meaning part形符xíngfú

刂Written in full as刀dāo

Sound part声符shēngfú

亥

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

刻 is made of 刂, a form of 刀 (knife), and 亥, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木反板

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

反

反fǎn板bǎn

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

板 pairs 木 (tree) with 反 as a sound part.

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