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摘要 (zhāi yào) — (noun) summary; abstract; (verb) to summarize; to extract the main points

Definition

Formal written word, mainly for the 'abstract' or 'summary' at the start of a paper or report. More formal than 总结, which is the everyday 'sum up' (e.g. in a meeting); 摘要 is typically a noun, not a verb phrase like 总结一下.

noun
summaryabstract
verb
to summarizeto extract the main points

Examples

  • 摘要。
    Qǐng zhāi yào yí xià zhè piān wén zhāng de zhǔ yào nèi róng.
    Please summarize the main content of this article.
  • 摘要。
    Lùn wén de zhāi yào tōng cháng fàng zài kāi tóu.
    The abstract of a paper is usually placed at the beginning.
  • 摘要，。
    Zhè ge zhāi yào xiě dé hěn jiǎn jié, yí mù liǎo rán.
    This summary is written very concisely and is clear at a glance.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

摘zhāiextract
要yàoessentials

摘 means extract and 要 means essentials, giving the sense of extracting main points.

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shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
啇
啇dí摘zhāi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

摘 is made from 扌, a hand, and 啇, which gives its sound.

Open 摘 →

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

要 began as a drawing of a person with both hands pointing to the waist.

Open 要 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Reading & Writing

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