对偶 (duì ǒu) — (rhetoric) antithesis; a pair of parallel, balanced phrases or lines; (mathematics) dual; duality

Definition

A rhetorical device (and math term) referring to paired, balanced phrases. As rhetoric it's a core feature of classical Chinese poetry.

noun
(rhetoric) antithesisa pair of parallelbalanced phrases or lines(mathematics) dualduality

Examples

  • 对偶，。
    Zhè shǒu shī yòng le duì ǒu de xiū cí, shàng xià jù duì zhàng gōng zhěng.
    This poem uses antithesis; the two lines are neatly balanced.
  • ，对偶。
    Zài shù xué zhōng, duì ǒu guān xì jīng cháng chū xiàn zài jǐ hé hé dài shù lǐ.
    In mathematics, duality often appears in geometry and algebra.
  • 对偶。
    duì ǒu Shì hàn yǔ gǔ diǎn shī gē de zhòng yào tè zhēng zhī yī.
    Antithesis is one of the important features of classical Chinese poetry.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

对duìpair
偶ǒueven pair

对 gives pairing and 偶 gives evenness; together they name paired balance.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

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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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
禺
禺yú偶ǒu
Same sound today

偶 pairs 亻 (person) with 禺 for the sound. The evidence describes it as a statue of a person, an idol.

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