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润色 (rùn sè) — to polish (writing), to touch up (a text)

Definition

Refers to polishing a finished text — refining wording, flow, or style without changing content. Used in formal or professional writing contexts, not everyday speech.

verb
to polish (writing)to touch up (a text)

Examples

  • 润色。
    Qǐng bāng wǒ rùn sè yí xià zhè piān wén zhāng.
    Please help me polish this article.
  • 。
    Tā gěi zhè piān bào gào rùn le sè.
    He polished this report.
  • 。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng hái xū yào rùn rùn sè.
    This article still needs some polishing.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

润rùnmoisten
色sècolor

润 means moisten or refine and 色 means color, giving the sense of adding luster to color, hence polishing text.

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 潤; 润 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
閏
閏rùn潤rùn
Same sound today

The traditional form 潤 pairs 水 (water) with 閏, which gives the sound and means surplus, to show an ample amount of moisture; the simplified 润 is a later abbreviation.

Open 润 →

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

  • 爪爪zhuǎclaw; hand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

色 pairs 爪 (a hand) with 卩 (a kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on the kneeling person.

Open 色 →
Appears in
Reading & Writing

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