粉饰 (fěn shì) — to whitewash, to gloss over (flaws or problems); to paint and adorn, to decorate (literally)

Definition

Literally 'to paint and adorn' (e.g. restoring a building), but in modern use it almost always means 'to whitewash, to gloss over' flaws, mistakes, or problems — a negative term implying cover-up.

verb
to whitewashto gloss over (flaws or problems)to paint and adornto decorate (literally)

Examples

  • 粉饰。
    Zhèng fǔ shì tú fěn shì jīng jì wēi jī dài lái de yǐng xiǎng.
    The government tried to gloss over the impact of the economic crisis.
  • 粉饰。
    Tā xǐ huan zài shè jiāo méi tǐ shàng fěn shì zì jǐ de rì cháng shēng huó.
    He likes to whitewash his daily life on social media.
  • 粉饰，。
    Zhè zuò lǎo jiào táng jīng guò jīng xīn fěn shì, huī fù le yuán lái de guāng cǎi.
    This old church was carefully painted and adorned, restoring its original splendor.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

粉fěnapply powder
饰shìdecorate

粉饰 pairs 粉, to apply powder or paint, with 饰, to decorate.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn粉fěn
Same sound today

粉 pairs 米 (rice) with 分 for its sound. The rice part points to face powder made from rice.

Open 粉 →

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 飾; 饰 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
飤
飤sì飾shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 飾 pairs 巾 (cloth) with 飤 as a sound part; the simplified 饰 is a later abbreviation.

Open 饰 →

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