旧作 (jiù zuō) — old works (of literature and art)

Definition

noun
old works (of literature and art)

Examples

  • 旧作。
    Tā de jiù zuō zài wén xué jiè hěn yǒu yǐng xiǎng.
    His old works are very influential in literary circles.
  • 旧作。
    Zhè běn huà cè shōu lù le tā zǎo nián de jiù zuō.
    This painting album collects his early old works.
  • 旧作。
    Bó wù guǎn zhèng zài zhǎn chū zhè wèi dà shī de jiù zuō.
    The museum is exhibiting this master's old works.

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.

旧jiùold
作zuòwork

旧 old specifies that the 作 work is from an earlier period.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 舊; 旧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雈雈huánowl
Sound part声符shēngfú
臼
臼jiù舊jiù
Same sound today

The traditional form of 旧 is 舊, which shows 雈, an owl, above 臼, which gives the sound.

Open 旧 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà作zuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

Open 作 →

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