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疏散 (shū sàn) — (verb) to evacuate; to disperse; (adjective) scattered; sparse

Definition

As a verb, 疏散 emphasizes orderly evacuation of people from danger (unlike 散's general scattering). As an adjective, it means physically spread out — compare 稀/稀少 (density) and 分散 (more general dispersal).

verb
to evacuateto disperse
adjective
scatteredsparse

Examples

  • 疏散。
    Xiāo fáng yuán zhèng zài shū sàn dà lóu lǐ de rén.
    The firefighters are evacuating the people in the building.
  • 疏散。
    Zhè piàn qū yù de fáng wū bǐ jiào shū sàn.
    The houses in this area are relatively scattered.
  • 疏散。
    Qǐng dà jiā yǒu xù shū sàn dào guǎng chǎng jí hé.
    Please evacuate in an orderly manner and gather at the square.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

疏shūsparse
散sànscatter

疏 and 散 both suggest spreading out or becoming sparse, so the action disperses or scatters.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

  • 林林líntrees, forest
  • 攴攴pūto knock, to tap

散 combines 林 (trees or forest) and 攴 (to knock or tap), originally showing knocking to clear vegetation, later extended to breaking up or dispersing.

Open 散 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Safety & Danger

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