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小节 (xiǎo jié) — small matter, trifle; (music) bar, measure

Definition

Two main senses: a 'small matter, trifle' (often used with 不拘/不讲究 to mean 'not fuss over details'), and in music, a 'bar' or 'measure' (a segment of time). Do not confuse with the standalone 细节, which means 'detail' more broadly.

noun
small mattertrifle(music) barmeasure
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 小节。
    Bié wèi zhè zhǒng xiǎo jié shēng qì.
    Don't get angry over such a small matter.
  • 小节。
    Zhè shǒu gē měi xiǎo jié yǒu sì pāi.
    This song has four beats per bar.
  • ，小节。
    Tā zhù zhòng xì jié, cóng bù hū lüè xiǎo jié.
    He pays attention to details and never overlooks small matters.

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.

小xiǎosmall
节jiésection

小 means 'small' and 节 means 'section', giving a trifle or a musical bar.

Characters in this word

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

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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 節; 节 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺮Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
即
即jí節jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 節 pairs ⺮ (bamboo) with 即, which gives the sound; the bamboo part points to a node of bamboo. The simplified 节 is a later abbreviation.

Open 节 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsMusic

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