较真儿 (jiào zhēn r) — (adjective) to be serious about details; to be fussy or nitpicky

Definition

Colloquial, erhua-flavored adjective meaning 'nitpicky, fussy about details' — informal, with a slightly disapproving tone. Often pairs with 太/别 to criticize someone's over-fastidiousness.

adjective
to be serious about detailsto be fussy or nitpicky

Examples

  • 较真儿，。
    Tā zhè ge rén tài jiào zhēn r le, yì diǎn xiǎo shì yě yào zhēng gè míng bai.
    He's too nitpicky — he has to argue over every little thing.
  • 较真儿，。
    Bié nà me jiào zhēn r, dà jiā kāi gè wán xiào ér yǐ.
    Don't be so fussy; everyone's just joking.
  • 较真儿，。
    Zuò xué wèn jiù dé jiào zhēn r, bù néng mǎ hu.
    When doing research, you have to be meticulous; you can't be careless.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

较真insist on truth
较jiàoinsist on真zhēntruth
动宾Verb + object
儿érerhua

较 means to insist on and 真 means truth or seriousness; 儿 gives the spoken form.

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 較; 较 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūvehicle
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo較jiào
Same sound today

In the traditional form 較, 車 (vehicle) gives the sense and 交 gives the sound; the simplified 较 is a later abbreviation.

Open 较 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowrie; shell
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂈
𠂈𠂈真zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

真 pairs 貝 (cowrie shell, used for the meaning) with 𠂈, which gave the sound and originally drew a headlong fall.

Open 真 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 儿 is a simple drawing of a standing person, used as an alternate form of the character for person.

Open 儿 →

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