略 (lüè) — (adverb) slightly, a bit; (adjective) brief, sketchy; (verb) to omit, to leave out
Definition
略 is a 'slightly' adverb paired with a verb (e.g. 略知一二), and as an adjective it marks something as 'brief/sketchy' rather than fully developed. As a verb ('to omit') it's more formal/written than 省 shěng in its colloquial 'skip' sense.
adverb
slightlya bit
adjective
briefsketchy
verb
to omitto leave out
Easily confused
Examples
- 。Wǒ duì zhè ge wèn tí lüè zhī yī èr.I know a little about this issue.
- 。Zhè xiē bú zhòng yào de xì jié kě yǐ lüè qù.These unimportant details can be omitted.
- ，。Tā de bào gào hěn jiǎn lüè, xū yào bǔ chōng gèng duō nèi róng.His report is very brief and needs more content.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
略 combines 田 (field) with 各 for sound; the described idea is walking around a field to outline it.
Appears in
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