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梳妆 (shū zhuāng) — to dress up and apply makeup; to make up (one's hair and face)

Definition

A literary verb meaning 'to dress up and apply makeup,' covering both hair and face — more formal and old-fashioned than everyday 化妆. Often seen in fixed phrases like 梳妆台 (vanity) or 对镜梳妆.

verb
to dress up and apply makeupto make up (one's hair and face)

Examples

  • 梳妆。
    Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu yào huā yí gè xiǎo shí shū zhuāng.
    She spends an hour every morning dressing up and putting on makeup.
  • 梳妆，。
    Xīn niáng zhèng zài fáng jiān lǐ shū zhuāng, zhǔn bèi jié hūn yí shì.
    The bride is in the room dressing up and preparing for the wedding ceremony.
  • 梳妆，。
    Gǔ dài nǚ zǐ xǐ huan duì jìng shū zhuāng, shǐ yòng gè zhǒng huà zhuāng pǐn.
    Ancient women liked to dress up in front of a mirror, using various cosmetics.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

梳shūcomb
妆zhuāngmakeup

梳 means to comb and 妆 means makeup, together describing grooming oneself.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
疏
疏shū梳shū
Same sound today

The shape pairs 木 (wood) with 疏, which gives the sound.

Open 梳 →

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 妝; 妆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚfemale
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán妝zhuāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 妝 combines 女, meaning female, with 爿 as a sound part; this describes 妝, not the simplified 妆.

Open 妆 →
Appears in
Hygiene & Grooming

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