绝对值 (jué duì zhí) — absolute value

Definition

noun

absolute value

Examples

绝对值。
Wǔ de jué duì zhí shì wǔ.
The absolute value of five is five.
绝对值。
Fù sān de jué duì zhí děng yú sān.
The absolute value of negative three equals three.
，绝对值。
Zài shù xué zhōng, jué duì zhí biǎo shì yí gè shù dào líng de jù lí.
In mathematics, absolute value represents the distance of a number from zero.

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.

绝对absolute

绝juécut off对duìopposite

动宾Verb + object

值zhívalue

绝对 (absolute) and 值 (value) combine to name the absolute value.

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.

刀幺絕

刀刀dāoknife
幺幺yāosilk

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

丵丵zhuótool for digging
土土tǔearth
又又yòuhand

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻直值

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

直

直zhí值zhí

Same sound today

值 is made from 亻 (written in full as 人, a person) and 直, with 直 giving the sound.

Open 值 →

Appears in