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识别 (shí bié) — to identify; to recognize; to distinguish

Definition

识别 is 'to identify/recognize' things (faces, text, patterns), especially via a system or trained ability. 鉴定 is appraisal by an expert; 辨别 and 辨认 stress distinguishing close things by careful effort.

verb
to identifyto recognizeto distinguish

Examples

  • 识别。
    Xì tǒng néng shí bié chū měi gè rén de liǎn.
    The system can identify each person's face.
  • 识别。
    Zhè zhǒng ruǎn jiàn kě yǐ shí bié wén zì hé tú piàn.
    This software can recognize text and images.
  • 识别。
    Tā hěn nán shí bié chū zhè liǎng zhǒng yán sè de qū bié.
    He finds it hard to distinguish the difference between these two colors.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

识shírecognize
别biédistinguish

识 and 别 both carry knowing and telling apart, so 识别 means to recognize or distinguish.

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 識; 识 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
戠
戠zhí識zhì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 識 pairs 言 (say) with 戠 as a sound part; the simplified 识 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 识 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 別; 别 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 別 pairs 冎 (bone) with 刀 (knife), showing a knife cutting up bone and flesh. The simplified 别 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 别 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Thinking & Cognition

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