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嘈杂 (cáo zá) — noisy, clamorous

Definition

Formal/literary word for a chaotic, mixed noise (crowds, markets, traffic). More written than 吵 or 喧闹, which sound more colloquial.

adjective
noisyclamorous

Examples

  • ，嘈杂。
    Shì chǎng lǐ rén hěn duō, fēi cháng cáo zá.
    There are many people in the market; it's very noisy.
  • 嘈杂。
    cáo zá De huán jìng ràng wǒ wú fǎ zhuān xīn gōng zuò.
    The noisy environment makes it impossible for me to concentrate on work.
  • 嘈杂，。
    Shēn yè de jiē dào bú zài cáo zá, biàn de ān jìng le.
    The streets in the dead of night are no longer noisy; they've become quiet.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

嘈cáonoisy
杂zámixed

"嘈" noisy and "杂" mixed combine to mean confused noise.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
曹
曹cáo嘈cáo
Same sound today

嘈 pairs 口 (mouth) with 曹, which gives the sound.

Open 嘈 →

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 雜; 杂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
集
集jí雜zá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雜 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 集 as a sound part, originally referring to mixed colours, perhaps in dyed clothes; the simplified 杂 is a later shorthand.

Open 杂 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Good & Bad

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