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大修 (dà xiū) — major overhaul (of machinery, vehicles, infrastructure, etc.)

Definition

A 'major overhaul' — extensive, heavy repair of machinery, vehicles, or infrastructure, going beyond routine maintenance (保养). Used in technical and industrial contexts.

noun
major overhaul (of machinery, vehicles, infrastructure, etc.)
Measure word · 次

Examples

  • 大修。
    Zhè tái fā dòng jī xū yào yí cì dà xiū.
    This engine needs a major overhaul.
  • 大修。
    Gōng chǎng měi nián duì shè bèi jìn xíng yí cì dà xiū.
    The factory does a major overhaul of the equipment every year.
  • 大修，。
    Jīng guò liǎng cì dà xiū, zhè liàng chē de xìng néng huī fù le.
    After two major overhauls, the performance of this car recovered.

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.

大dàmajor
修xiūrepair

大 means major and 修 means repair, so it is a major repair or overhaul.

Characters in this word

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.

Open 修 →
Appears in
Industry & Manufacturing

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