时兴 (shí xīng) — popular, in vogue (of trends or fashions)

Definition

An adjective for trends, styles, or fashions that are currently 'in vogue.' Often used predicatively with 了 to mark what's coming in or going out, as in 这种发型已经不∼了.

adjective
popularin vogue (of trends or fashions)

Examples

  • 时兴。
    Xiàn zài shí xīng fù gǔ fēng gé.
    Nowadays retro style is in vogue.
  • 。
    Zhè zhǒng fà xíng yǐ jīng bù shí xīng le.
    This hairstyle is no longer popular.
  • 时兴。
    Jīn nián shí xīng chuān kuān tuǐ kù.
    Wearing wide-leg pants is in vogue this year.

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.

时shípresent
兴xīngrise

时 points to the present and 兴 means rising or flourishing, so what rises now is in vogue.

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 時; 时 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rìsun; day
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī時shí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 時 pairs 日 (sun/day) with 之 as the part that gives the sound; the simplified 时 is not the form described.

Open 时 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 興; 兴 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 興 shows four hands lifting an object; the simplified 兴 is not the form described.

Open 兴 →

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