撰稿 (zhuàn gǎo) — to write articles, to compose manuscripts (form…

Definition

撰稿 means to write articles or prepare manuscripts, and is used in professional/journalistic contexts rather than casual writing.

verb

to write articlesto compose manuscripts (formal)

。
Tā shì yí wèi zì yóu zhuàn gǎo rén.
He is a freelance writer.
撰稿。
Zhè piān bào dào yóu sān wèi jì zhě gòng tóng zhuàn gǎo.
This report was co-written by three journalists.
撰。
Tā wèi zá zhì shè zhuàn le yì piān gǎo.
She wrote a manuscript for the magazine.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

撰zhuàncompose

稿gǎomanuscript

撰 means to compose and 稿 means manuscript, so it means to write manuscripts or articles.

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.

扌巽撰

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

巽

巽xùn撰zhuàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

撰 pairs 扌 (hand) with 巽, which gives the sound; the hand part relates to the meaning.

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

禾高稿

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

高

Same sound today

稿 is built from 禾, which carries the meaning, and 高, which supplies the pronunciation.