抄写 (chāo xiě) — to copy by hand, to transcribe

Definition

verb
to copy by handto transcribe

Examples

  • 抄写。
    Qǐng bǎ zhè xiē shēng cí chāo xiě yí biàn.
    Please copy these new words once.
  • 抄写。
    Tā huā le liǎng gè xiǎo shí chāo xiě nà fēng xìn.
    He spent two hours copying that letter.
  • 抄写。
    Lǎo shī ràng wǒ men chāo xiě kè wén sān biàn.
    The teacher asked us to transcribe the text three times.

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.

抄chāocopy
写xiěwrite

The copying in 抄 and the writing in 写 together mean transcribing by hand.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
少
少shǎo抄chāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

抄 combines 扌 (hand) with 少, which supplies the sound.

Open 抄 →

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 寫; 写 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
舄
舄xì寫xiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 寫 combines 宀 with 舄 for the sound; this note is about 寫, not the simplified 写.

Open 写 →
Appears in
Reading & Writing

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