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多边 (duō biān) — multilateral

Definition

'Multilateral' — involving many (usually three or more) sides or parties. In contrast to 双边 ('bilateral', two sides) and 单边 ('unilateral', one side).

adjective
multilateral

Examples

  • 多边。
    Gè guó dōu xī wàng duō biān tán pàn néng gòu chéng gōng.
    All countries hope the multilateral negotiations can succeed.
  • 多边。
    Zhè ge duō biān xié yì shè jí huán jìng bǎo hù.
    This multilateral agreement involves environmental protection.
  • 多边。
    duō biān Zhǔ yì zài dāng jīn guó jì shè huì shòu dào tiǎo zhàn.
    Multilateralism faces challenges in today's international community.

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.

多duōmany
边biānside

多, meaning many, before 边, meaning side, gives the sense of having many sides.

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.

Open 多 →

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 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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