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称之为 (chēng zhī wéi) — to call it (as); to refer to it as

Definition

A formal/written phrase meaning 'to call it … / to refer to it as …'. Unlike 叫 (jiào) or 把…叫做, it is used in academic, literary, or expository writing rather than everyday speech.

verb
to call it (as)to refer to it as

Examples

  • ，称之为“”。
    Zhè ge xiàn xiàng, wǒ men chēng zhī wéi "hú dié xiào yìng".
    This phenomenon, we call it the 'butterfly effect'.
  • ，称之为“”。
    Zài gǔ dài, rén men chēng zhī wéi "tiān yuán dì fāng".
    In ancient times, people called it 'the sky is round and the earth is square'.
  • 称之为“”。
    Kē xué jiā men chēng zhī wéi "xiāng duì lùn".
    Scientists call it the 'theory of relativity'.

Origin

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 稱; 称 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hérice
Sound part声符shēngfú
爯
爯chēng稱chēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 稱 pairs 禾 (rice) with 爯, a part giving the sound; it is explained as measuring rice. The simplified 称 is a later shorthand.

Open 称 →

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

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →
Appears in
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