(shù) — (bound form) to state, to relate, to narrate

Definition

A bound morpheme meaning 'to state / relate' — it never stands alone, only in set verbs like 描述 (describe), 陈述 (state), 论述 (discuss).

bound form
to stateto relateto narrate

Examples

  • Tā xiáng xì miáo shù le zhěng gè shì jiàn de jīng guò.
    He described the whole course of the event in detail.
  • Zhè piān bào gào shù shuō le sān gè zhǔ yào wèn tí.
    This report states three main issues.
  • Qǐng nǐ jiǎn dān shù shuō yí xià zì jǐ de yì jiàn.
    Please briefly state your own opinion.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhúshù
Same sound today

述 combines 辵, a walking radical, with 朮, which gives the sound; the walking part belongs to the meaning.

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