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显得 (xiǎn de) — to seem, to look, to appear

Definition

Used to describe how a person or situation 'appears' or 'looks' from the outside (often with an adjective: 显得年轻). Closer to 看来 ('it seems that') in meaning than to 显现, which means literally 'to become visible'.

verb
to seemto lookto appear

Examples

  • 显得。
    Tā xiǎn de hěn gāo xìng.
    He seems very happy.
  • 显得。
    Zhè ge wèn tí xiǎn de bú tài hé lǐ.
    This question seems not very reasonable.
  • 显得。
    Tā xiǎn de bǐ shí jì nián líng nián qīng hěn duō.
    She looks much younger than her actual age.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

显xiǎnshow/appear
得départicle

显 supplies the sense of showing or appearing, and 得 is added to form the verb 'to seem'.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 顯; 显 is its simplified writing.

  • 日日rìsun
  • 絲絲sīsilk
  • 頁頁yèperson's head

For 显, the traditional form 顯 is made of 日 (sun), 絲 (silk), and 頁 (person's head).

Open 显 →

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

The old form 㝵 showed a hand picking up a cowry, meaning to obtain; later changes turned that picture into 得.

Open 得 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Abstract Concepts5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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