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改写 (gǎi xiě) — to rewrite; to adapt; to paraphrase

Definition

改写 means to rewrite or paraphrase text — often to change its form or wording while keeping the content, or to adapt a work into a new format (e.g. a novel into a screenplay).

verb
to rewriteto adaptto paraphrase

Examples

  • 著改写。
    Tā jué dìng bǎ yuán zhù gǎi xiě chéng diàn yǐng jù běn.
    He decided to adapt the original novel into a movie script.
  • 改写。
    Zhè piān lùn wén xū yào dà fú gǎi xiě cái néng fā biǎo.
    This paper needs extensive rewriting before it can be published.
  • 改写。
    Lǎo shī ràng wǒ men yòng zì jǐ de huà gǎi xiě zhè duàn gǔ wén.
    The teacher asked us to paraphrase this ancient text in our own words.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

改gǎichange
写xiěwrite

改 means to change and 写 means to write, so together they say to write something in a changed form.

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
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì改gǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An early form of 改 paired 巳 as a sound part with 攴 as a meaning part; the sound part later changed.

Open 改 →

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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