档案 (dàng àn) — file, record, archive | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

档案 refers to an organized, often official collection of records (personnel files, historical archives). 文档 and 文件 are everyday 'documents/computer files'; 档案 is the full dossier/archive kept over time.

noun

filerecordarchive

Measure word · 份

Examples

档案。
Wǒ bǎ dàng àn zhěng lǐ hǎo le.
I have organized the files.
档案。
Gōng sī yǒu shí nián de dàng àn xū yào bǎo cún.
The company has ten years of records to keep.
档案。
Tā qù tú shū guǎn chá zhǎo lì shǐ dàng àn.
He went to the library to look up historical archives.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

档 and 案 both refer to stored records, so the whole means a file or archive.

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 檔; 档 is its simplified writing.

木當檔

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

當

當dāng檔dàng

Same sound today

The traditional form 檔 pairs 木, a tree, with 當 as the sound part. The simplified 档 is an abbreviation of 檔.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木安案

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

安

安ān案àn

Same sound today

案 pairs 木, a wood/tree shape, with 安, which is used for its sound.

Appears in

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