妙算 (miào suàn) — brilliant plan, excellent stratagem; accurate calculations or predictions

Definition

A literary/elevated noun for a brilliant plan or prediction, most often used for strategy (as in the set phrase 神机妙算, 'divinely clever stratagem'). It is far more formal and literary than everyday words for 'plan.'

noun
brilliant planexcellent stratagemaccurate calculations or predictions

Examples

  • 妙算。
    Tā de miào suàn ràng duì shǒu cuò shǒu bù jí.
    His brilliant plan caught the opponent off guard.
  • 妙算。
    Méi rén yù liào dào tā de miào suàn rú cǐ zhǔn què.
    No one expected his calculations to be so accurate.
  • 妙算。
    Zhè wèi jūn shī yǐ miào suàn wén míng.
    This military strategist is famous for his brilliant stratagems.

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.

妙miàoclever or excellent
算suàncalculation or plan

妙 describes excellence or cleverness, while 算 refers to calculation or plan, giving excellent strategy.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
少
少shǎo妙miào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

妙 combines 女, a woman, with 少, which gives the sound.

Open 妙 →

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

The current form 算 has 竹 on top, 目 in the middle, and 廾 below; the 目 part may have originally drawn counting rods, often made of bamboo.

Open 算 →

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