该书 (gāi shū) — (formal) the said book, the book in question, this book

Definition

该书 is a formal written phrase meaning 'the said book' or 'the book in question' — used in academic, legal, and literary writing to refer back to a previously mentioned title. Pronounced gāi shū; the 该 is a formal demonstrative, more bookish than 这.

pronoun
(formal) the said bookthe book in questionthis book
Measure word · 本

Examples

  • 该书。
    gāi shū De zuò zhě shì yí wèi zhù míng xué zhě.
    The author of this book is a famous scholar.
  • 该书。
    gāi shū Chū bǎn yú èr shí shì jì jiǔ shí nián dài.
    This book was published in the 1990s.
  • 该书。
    gāi shū De nèi róng shè jí duō gè xué kē lǐng yù.
    The content of this book covers multiple academic fields.

Origin

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 該; 该 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài該gāi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 該 pairs 言 (speech) with 亥 as a sound part; the simplified 该 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 该 →

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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