选 (xuǎn) — to choose, to pick, to select; to elect
Definition
Short, everyday verb 'to choose/pick/elect' — usable as a one-syllable stand-in for the more formal 选择. Use 挑选 when you want a deliberate, careful selection.
verb
to chooseto pickto selectto elect
Easily confused
Examples
- 选？Nǐ xuǎn hǎo zhuān yè le ma?Have you chosen your major?
- 选。Wǒ men xuǎn tā dāng dài biǎo.We elected him as the representative.
- 选。Qǐng cóng cài dān lǐ xuǎn yí dào cài.Please choose a dish from the menu.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 選; 选 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
巽
巽xùn選xuǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 選 combines 止 with 巽, which gives the sound xùn; its sense of choosing is explained as rejecting or sending someone back. Simplified 选 is a shorthand.
Appears in
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