笔录 (bǐ lù) — to record in writing, to put down in writing

Definition

笔录 (bǐlù) means to write down or transcribe spoken words — like a court reporter or police note-taker. Often used as a 离合词: 笔录下来 / 把…笔录下来.

verb

to record in writingto put down in writing

Examples

笔录。
Jǐng chá zǐ xì dì bǐ lù le zhèng rén de huà.
The police carefully recorded the witness's words.
笔录。
Qǐng bǎ huì yì de nèi róng bǐ lù xià lái.
Please write down the content of the meeting.
笔录。
Lǜ shī zài fǎ tíng shàng bǐ lù le duì fāng de zhèng cí.
The lawyer recorded the other party's testimony in court.

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.

笔bǐpen/writing

录lùrecord

笔 pen/writing + 录 record: to record with pen or writing.

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 筆; 笔 is its simplified writing.

竹聿筆

Meaning part形符xíngfú

竹竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

聿

聿yù筆bǐ

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

The simplified 笔 is based on the traditional form 筆, which puts 竹 (bamboo) beside 聿 (writing brush). 聿 already meant the brush and supplied the sound; 竹 was added later to show it was made of bamboo.

Open 笔 →

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 錄; 录 is its simplified writing.

金彔錄

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

彔

彔lù錄lù

Same sound today

The traditional form 錄 combines 金 (metal) with 彔, which gives the sound; the simplified 录 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 录 →