指出 (zhǐ chū) — to point out; to indicate | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

指出 means 'to point out' — usually a fact, problem, or mistake, often in speech or writing. Unlike 提示 (a reminder/hint) or 示意 (a non-verbal signal), 指出 is direct and explicit.

verb

to point outto indicate

Examples

指出。
Tā zài huì shàng zhǐ chū le wèn tí de yuán yīn.
He pointed out the cause of the problem at the meeting.
指出。
Qǐng nǐ zhǐ chū nǎ zhāng dì tú huà cuò le.
Please point out which map is drawn wrong.
指出。
Lǎo shī zhǐ chū le tā zuò yè lǐ de cuò wù.
The teacher pointed out the mistakes in his homework.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

指 points, and 出 shows movement out, so the sense is to point out.

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.

扌旨指

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

旨

旨zhǐ指zhǐ

Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

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

止止zhǐfoot
凵凵kǎncave

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 4 Communication & Speech 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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