多元 (duō yuán) — (adjective) diverse; pluralistic (of culture, s…

Definition

多元 emphasizes many different sources or elements (cultures, ideas, variables) coexisting. 多样 focuses more on variety in form or type.

adjective

diversepluralistic (of culture, society, ideas, etc.)(adjective, mathematics) multivariatemultiple-element

多元。
Běi jīng shì yí gè duō yuán wén huà de chéng shì.
Beijing is a city with diverse cultures.
多元。
Xiàn dài shè huì xū yào duō yuán de sī wéi fāng shì.
Modern society needs a pluralistic way of thinking.
多元。
Zhè ge wèn tí de duō yuán biàn liàng ràng fēn xī biàn de hěn kùn nan.
The multiple variables of this problem make analysis very difficult.

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.

多 means many, and 元 means element, so 多元 describes many elements.

Characters in this word

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

多 originally showed two pieces of meat placed together; the repeated meat shape gives the sense of many.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 元 shows a figure with two lines for a head, one connected to the body and one above it, emphasizing the head.

Appears in