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辨别 (biàn bié) — to distinguish, to differentiate, to discern

Definition

辨别 emphasizes telling similar things apart by careful perception (sounds, faces, meanings), more perceptual than 区别. Pairs with 辨认 and 鉴别, which both require close examination.

verb
to distinguishto differentiateto discern

Examples

  • 辨别。
    Hěn nán biàn bié zhè liǎng gè zì de yì si.
    It's hard to distinguish the meanings of these two characters.
  • 辨别。
    Tā néng kuài sù biàn bié chū shuí shì piàn zi.
    He can quickly identify who is the liar.
  • 辨别。
    Tōng guò shēng yīn biàn bié chū shì shuí zài shuō huà.
    Identify who is speaking by their voice.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

辨biàndistinguish
别biétell apart

辨 and 别 both mean to tell apart, so together they emphasize distinguishing.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
辡
辡biàn辨biàn
Same sound today

辨 pairs 刀 (knife) with 辡, made of two knives. The two knives suggest two prisoners accusing each other, giving different accounts that must be sorted out.

Open 辨 →

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 7-9Thinking & Cognition

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