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资料 (zī liào) — materials; data; information; profile (online)

Definition

资料 is a general word for 'information, data, materials' you read or collect (reports, files, online profiles). 材料 leans toward raw substances for making things, or research sources; 资料 is what you consult.

noun
materialsdatainformationprofile (online)
Measure word · 份, 个

Examples

  • 资料。
    Zhè fèn zī liào duì xué xí hěn yǒu bāng zhù.
    This material is very helpful for studying.
  • 资料。
    Wǒ men xū yào gèng duō de zī liào lái wán chéng zhè ge xiàng mù.
    We need more data to complete this project.
  • 资料？
    Nǐ zài wǎng zhàn shàng tián le gè rén zī liào ma?
    Did you fill in your personal profile on the website?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

资zīresources
料liàomaterial

资 and 料 both concern resources or material, so the word means data or materials.

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 資; 资 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell-money
Sound part声符shēngfú
次
次cì資zī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 資 puts 次 above 貝, a shell-money sign, to write property or resource; 次 supplies the sound. The simplified 资 is a shorthand, so do not treat its parts as historical.

Open 资 →

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

料 combines 米 (rice) with 斗 (a dipper), showing rice being measured or gauged.

Open 料 →
Appears in
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