该案 (gāi àn) — this case; the said case (formal/legal) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Formal/legal way to refer to 'the said case' — a written shorthand for 此案 or 该案件, used in court documents and news reports. It is not used in everyday speech.

pronoun

this casethe said case (formal/legal)

Examples

该案。
Fǎ yuàn zhèng zài shěn lǐ gāi àn.
The court is hearing this case.
该案。
gāi àn De xì jié shàng wèi gōng kāi.
The details of this case have not been made public.
该案。
Lǜ shī duì gāi àn tí chū le xīn de zhèng jù.
The lawyer presented new evidence for this case.

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.

该gāithis/said

该 points to the case just mentioned, and 案 names the matter under discussion.

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.

言亥該

Meaning part形符xíngfú

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木安案

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

安

安ān案àn

Same sound today

案 pairs 木, a wood/tree shape, with 安, which is used for its sound.

Appears in

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