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缩水 (suō shuǐ) — (of fabric, clothes) to shrink after washing; (of profits, assets, etc.) to shrink or diminish

Definition

缩水 literally means 'lose water' and is used for fabrics shrinking after washing, and figuratively for profits, assets, etc. diminishing. Unlike 缩小 (reduce/shrink in size), 缩水 implies unwanted loss, not deliberate reduction.

verb
(of fabric, clothes) to shrink after washing(of profits, assets, etc.) to shrink or diminish

Examples

  • 缩水。
    Zhè zhǒng mián bù xǐ le huì suō shuǐ.
    This type of cotton cloth will shrink when washed.
  • 缩水，。
    Wǒ xīn mǎi de máo yī yǐ jīng suō shuǐ le, chuān bú xià le.
    My new sweater has shrunk and no longer fits.
  • ，缩水。
    Yóu yú shì chǎng bù jǐng qì, gōng sī lì rùn dà fú suō shuǐ.
    Due to the sluggish market, the company's profits shrank significantly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

缩suōshrink
水shuǐwater

'缩' means shrink and '水' means water, so it describes shrinking after washing or losing inflated water.

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 縮; 缩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìstring, thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
宿
宿sù縮suō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 縮 pairs 糸 (string, thread) with 宿, which gives the sound; the simplified 缩 is a shorthand.

Open 缩 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Business & CommerceClothing

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