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某些 (mǒu xiē) — (noun) certain (ones); some (unspecified but identifiable subset)

Definition

A formal/literary word for 'certain' — refers to an unspecified but identifiable subset of people or things within a group. More formal than 有些, and implies you know which ones, you just aren't naming them.

noun
certain (ones)some (unspecified but identifiable subset)

Examples

  • 某些。
    mǒu xiē Rén duì zhè ge jué dìng biǎo shì bù mǎn.
    Certain people expressed dissatisfaction with this decision.
  • 某些，。
    Zài mǒu xiē qíng kuàng xià, wǒ men xū yào zuò chū tuǒ xié.
    In certain situations, we need to make compromises.
  • 某些。
    Zhè běn shū zhōng mǒu xiē xì jié xiě dé bú gòu qīng chǔ.
    Certain details in this book are not written clearly enough.

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.

某mǒucertain
些xiēsome

The sense of 某 and 些 combine to point to a certain set.

Characters in this word

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

The shape shows 木 (tree) with 甘 (sweet); it was originally the form for a Chinese plum, and later became the form for 某.

Open 某 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 些 →
Appears in
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