才貌 (cái mào) — talent and appearance

Definition

才貌 pairs talent with physical appearance, almost always used in the fixed phrase 才貌双全 to praise someone who excels in both. No listed sibling to contrast with.

noun
talent and appearance

Examples

  • 才貌，。
    Tā bù jǐn cái mào chū zhòng, ér qiě xìng gé hěn hǎo.
    She not only has outstanding talent and appearance, but also has a great personality.
  • 才貌。
    Tā yì zhí shì dà jiā gōng rèn de cái mào shuāng quán de diǎn fàn.
    He has always been recognized as a model of both talent and good looks.
  • 才貌。
    cái mào Liǎng zhě jiān bèi de rén cái yuè lái yuè shòu zhòng shì.
    Talents who possess both talent and appearance are increasingly valued.

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.

才cáitalent
貌màoappearance

才 means talent and 貌 means appearance; together they cover ability and looks.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

才 originally drew a sharp peg, not a sprout growing from the ground.

Open 才 →

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
皃皃màolooks
Sound part声符shēngfú
豹
豹bào貌
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

貌 uses 皃, an older picture of a face, to show looks, and 豹 as a sound part.

Open 貌 →

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