卸妆 (xiè zhuāng) — to remove makeup; to take off one's makeup

Definition

A verb meaning to take off or remove makeup. Always used as a verb-object phrase; split as 卸了妆 / 卸过妆 in the perfective/experiential, with 妆 acting as the object (never 卸妆过).

verb
to remove makeupto take off one's makeup

Examples

  • 卸妆。
    Shuì jiào qián yí dìng yào xiè zhuāng.
    You must remove makeup before going to bed.
  • 。
    Tā huí jiā hòu xiān xiè le zhuāng cái chī fàn.
    She removed her makeup first after coming home before eating.
  • ，。
    Wǒ zhī xiè guò yí cì zhuāng, jué de tài má fan le.
    I've only removed makeup once, and I found it too troublesome.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

卸xièremove
妆zhuāngmakeup

卸 means take off, and 妆 means makeup, so the word describes removing makeup.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 卸 →

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 妝; 妆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚfemale
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán妝zhuāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 妝 combines 女, meaning female, with 爿 as a sound part; this describes 妝, not the simplified 妆.

Open 妆 →

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