比拟 (bǐ nǐ) — to compare, to draw an analogy; to be comparable, to match (often negated: 无可比拟)

Definition

拟 (nǐ) in 比拟 is a literary verb meaning 'to compare to' — used in writing to liken one thing to another. 比拟 draws an analogy or judges whether something is comparable, often in fixed phrases like 无可比拟 ('incomparable').

verb
to compareto draw an analogyto be comparableto match (often negated: 无可比拟)

Examples

  • 比拟。
    Zhè jiàn yì shù pǐn de měi lì wú fǎ bǐ nǐ.
    The beauty of this artwork is beyond comparison.
  • 比拟。
    Méi yǒu shén me kě yǐ yǔ zhī bǐ nǐ.
    Nothing can be compared to it.
  • 比拟。
    Tā de chéng jiù wán quán kě yǐ bǐ nǐ yú lì shǐ shàng de wěi rén.
    His achievements are fully comparable to those of great figures in history.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

比bǐcompare
拟nǐimitate

比 and 拟 both express comparing or imitating, so together they mean to draw an analogy or match.

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.

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 匕匕bǐ

比 is two 匕 placed side by side. Chu Wan-li treats both as sound parts, while an old reading takes the side-by-side arrangement as putting things next to each other.

Open 比 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
以
以yǐ拟nǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拟 is made of 扌 (hand) and 以. The 扌 side is the hand part, and 以 gives the sound.

Open 拟 →

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