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生疏 (shēng shū) — unfamiliar, not known well (of a place, place, person, topic); out of practice, rusty (, skill, knowledge)

Definition

生疏 covers two related ideas: unfamiliar (with a person, place, or topic) and out of practice (a skill). Unlike 陌生, which only describes first-time unfamiliarity, 生疏 can also mean a once-close relationship that has faded or a skill gone rusty.

adjective
unfamiliarnot known well (of a place, place, person, topic)out of practicerusty (, skill, knowledge)

Examples

  • ，生疏。
    Duō nián méi lái, zhè ge chéng shì ràng wǒ jué de hěn shēng shū.
    Having not come for years, this city feels unfamiliar to me.
  • ，生疏。
    Tā hǎo jiǔ méi tán gāng qín le, jì shù yǐ jīng shēng shū le.
    He hasn't played the piano for a long time, and his technique has become rusty.
  • ，生疏。
    Wǒ men hǎo jǐ nián méi jiàn, guān xì biàn de hěn shēng shū.
    We haven't seen each other for years, and our relationship has grown distant.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

生shēngunfamiliar
疏shūdistant

“生” (unfamiliar) and “疏” (distant) together describe not well known or out of practice.

Characters in this word

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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

  • 疋疋pǐ
  • 㐬㐬㐬

The form 疏 combines 㐬 with 疋, where 疋 supplies the sound.

Open 疏 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Thinking & Cognition

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