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应用 (yìng yòng) — (verb) to apply, to put to use; (adjective) applied, practical

Definition

应用 (yìngyòng) is more formal and academic than 使用 — used for putting a theory, method, or technology into practice, not for everyday tool use. As an adjective (e.g. 应用语言学), it means 'applied' rather than 'practical' (实用).

verb
to applyto put to use
adjective
appliedpractical

Examples

  • 应用。
    Wǒ men yīng gāi bǎ zhè ge lǐ lùn yìng yòng dào shí jiàn zhōng.
    We should apply this theory to practice.
  • 应用。
    Tā xué de shì yìng yòng yǔ yán xué.
    He studies applied linguistics.
  • 应用。
    Gōng sī zhèng zài yìng yòng xīn jì shù lái tí gāo xiào lǜ.
    The company is applying new technology to improve efficiency.

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.

应yìngsuitable
用yònguse

Suitability combined with use gives the idea of applying something.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 應; 应 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
䧹
䧹䧹應yìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 應 pairs 心 (heart) with 䧹 as a sound part; the simplified 应 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the original components.

Open 应 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Open 用 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Abstract Concepts

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