妆 (zhuāng) — (bound form) makeup, cosmetics; (bound form) to apply makeup; to adorn oneself; (bound form) woman's jewelry or adornments
Definition
妆 is a bound form — it never stands alone, only appearing inside compounds like 化妆 (apply makeup), 卸妆 (remove makeup), and 妆容 (makeup look). It refers specifically to cosmetics and the act of putting them on, not general decoration.
bound form
makeupcosmeticsto apply makeupto adorn oneselfwoman's jewelry or adornments
Examples
- 。Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu yào huā yí gè xiǎo shí huà zhuāng.She spends an hour every morning putting on makeup.
- ，。Zhè kuǎn xiè zhuāng yóu hěn hǎo yòng, bú cì jī pí fū.This makeup remover oil works well and doesn't irritate the skin.
- 妆，。Tā de zhuāng róng fēi cháng jīng zhì, xiàng míng xīng yí yàng.Her makeup look is very delicate, like a celebrity's.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 妝; 妆 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán妝zhuāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The form 妝 combines 女, meaning female, with 爿 as a sound part; this describes 妝, not the simplified 妆.
Appears in
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