绰号 (chuò hào) — nickname | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

绰号 is an informal, often personal nickname given by people around you. Unlike 称号 (an official or honorary title) and 外号 (similar informal nickname, often based on traits), 绰号 leans toward a creative, sometimes playful label.

noun

nickname

Examples

绰号。
Tóng xué men gěi tā qǐ le gè yǒu qù de chuò hào.
His classmates gave him an interesting nickname.
绰号。
Wǒ cóng lái bú yòng chuò hào chēng hu bié rén.
I never use nicknames to address others.
绰号。
Zhè ge chuò hào shì cóng tā xiǎo shí hou yì zhí jiào dào xiàn zài de.
This nickname has been used from his childhood all the way to the present.

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.

绰chuòinformal

绰 suggests an informal, extra label, and 号 gives the name.

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 綽; 绰 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⽷⽷⽷

Sound part声符shēngfú

卓

卓zhuó綽chuò

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 綽 pairs ⽷ with 卓 as a sound part; the simplified 绰 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

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

口丂号

口口kǒumouth
丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Identity & Titles

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