印刷术 (yìn shuā shù) — printing (technology); the art of printing

Definition

noun

printing (technology)the art of printing

印刷术。
Zhōng guó de sì dà fā míng zhī yī jiù shì yìn shuā shù.
One of China's four great inventions is printing.
，昇印刷术。
Běi sòng shí qī, bì shēng fā míng le huó zì yìn shuā shù.
During the Northern Song period, Bi Sheng invented movable-type printing.
印刷术。
yìn shuā shù Duì shì jiè wén huà de chuán bō qǐ le zhòng yào zuò yòng.
Printing played an important role in the spread of world culture.

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.

印刷printing

印yìnprint刷shuābrush/print

联合Side by side

术shùtechnique

印刷 joins 印 and 刷, both about printing; 术 means technique, so it names printing technology.

Characters in this word

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

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

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

刀刀dāoknife

Sound part声符shēngfú

㕞

㕞㕞刷shuā

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

刷 uses 刀, a knife, and pairs it with 㕞 as a sound component.

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 術; 术 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

行行xíngstreet, path

Sound part声符shēngfú

朮

朮zhú術shù

Same sound today

The traditional form 術 has 行 (street, path) beside 朮, which gives the sound; the simplified 术 is a later shorthand.