记叙 (jì xù) — to narrate, to recount (in writing or speech)

Definition

记叙 (jìxù) is the written, formal verb 'to narrate / recount' — used for recounting events in essays or speeches, especially in 记叙文 (narrative writing).

verb
to narrateto recount (in writing or speech)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 记叙。
    Zhè piān sǎn wén jì xù le tā tóng nián de shēng huó.
    This essay narrates his childhood life.
  • 记叙。
    Zuò zhě yòng shēng dòng de yǔ yán jì xù le nà cì jīng lì.
    The author recounted that experience with vivid language.
  • 记叙。
    jì xù Wén shì zhōng xué yǔ wén kè cháng liàn de wén tǐ.
    Narrative writing is a common genre practiced in middle school Chinese class.

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.

记jìrecord
叙xùtell

记 records and 叙 tells, giving the sense of narrating.

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 記; 记 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech; words
Sound part声符shēngfú
己
己jǐ記jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 記 pairs 言 (speech; words) with 己 as a sound part; the simplified 记 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 记 →

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 敘; 叙 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú敘xù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 敘 puts 余 on the left, giving the sound yú, and 攵 on the right as the meaningful part; the simplified 叙 is a shorthand.

Open 叙 →

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