绝品 (jué pǐn) — peerless item; incomparable piece (of art, antique, etc.)

Definition

An art/antique term meaning a 'peerless, one-of-a-kind masterpiece' — the absolute top among fine pieces. Used for collectibles like porcelain, jade, or paintings, not everyday things.

noun
peerless itemincomparable piece (of art, antique, etc.)

Examples

  • 绝品，。
    Zhè jiàn cí qì shì jué pǐn, shì shàng hǎn yǒu.
    This piece of porcelain is a peerless item, rare in the world.
  • 绝品。
    Tā de huà jí bèi shōu cáng jiā shì wéi jué pǐn.
    His collection of paintings is regarded as a peerless item by collectors.
  • 绝品，。
    Nà kuài yù shí kě wèi jué pǐn, jià zhí lián chéng.
    That piece of jade can be called a peerless item, worth a fortune.

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.

绝juépeerless
品pǐnitem

绝 means peerless, and 品 means an item, giving a piece beyond comparison.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →

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

品 repeats the same simple shape three times, representing various objects.

Open 品 →

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