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壮观 (zhuàng guān) — (adjective) spectacular, magnificent; (noun) magnificent sight, spectacle

Definition

壮观 stresses the impressive, awe-inspiring scale of a scene or event. Pairs naturally with 奇观 ('rare wonder') and 壮丽 ('majestic' of landscapes); 宏伟 is reserved for grand buildings and structures.

adjective
spectacularmagnificent
noun
magnificent sightspectacle

Examples

  • 壮观。
    Zhè zuò jiàn zhù de guī mó fēi cháng zhuàng guān.
    The scale of this building is very spectacular.
  • ，壮观。
    Cóng shān dǐng kàn rì chū, jǐng sè shí fēn zhuàng guān.
    Watching the sunrise from the mountaintop, the view is very spectacular.
  • 壮观。
    Zhè chǎng yān huā biǎo yǎn kān chēng yí dà zhuàng guān.
    This fireworks display can be called a great spectacle.

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.

壮zhuàngmagnificent
观guānsight

壮 adds grandeur to 观, the sight, so the meaning is a magnificent spectacle.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 壯; 壮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
士士shì
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán壯zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壯 uses 士 to hint at the meaning and 爿 for the sound; the simplified 壮 is a later abbreviation.

Open 壮 →

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 觀; 观 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn觀guān
Same sound today

The traditional form 觀 uses 見 (see) for meaning and 雚 for sound.

Open 观 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Appearance

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