淡出 (dàn chū) — (film) fade out; to gradually withdraw or disap… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'fade out' — used for a film/TV shot that gradually dims, and by extension for a person or thing slowly disappearing from public view (politics, trends). Compare with 淡入.

verb

(film) fade outto gradually withdraw or disappear from relevance

Examples

淡出。
Zhè bù diàn yǐng zài jié wěi chù dàn chū le.
This film fades out at the end.
淡出。
Tā zhú jiàn cóng zhèng tán dàn chū.
He gradually faded out of the political scene.
淡出。
Nà ge cháo liú hěn kuài jiù dàn chū le rén men de shì xiàn.
That trend quickly faded from people's view.

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.

The faint, gradual sense of 淡 combines with the outward sense of 出 to give fade out.

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.

氵炎淡

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

炎

炎yán淡dàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

淡 puts 氵 (water) beside 炎, which gives the sound yán.

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

止止zhǐfoot
凵凵kǎncave

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Appears in

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