采撷 (cǎi xié) — (literary) to pick, pluck (flowers, leaves, fruit); (literary) to gather, collect (quotations, selections)

Definition

Literary verb meaning 'to pluck' (flowers, fruit) or 'to gather/collect' (writings, ideas). Used in writing, not everyday speech.

verb
(literary) to pickpluck (flowers, leaves, fruit)(literary) to gathercollect (quotations, selections)

Examples

  • 采撷。
    Tā zài huā yuán lǐ cǎi xié le yì duǒ méi gui.
    She picked a rose in the garden.
  • 采撷。
    Shī rén cóng zì rán zhōng cǎi xié líng gǎn.
    The poet gathers inspiration from nature.
  • 采撷。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng cǎi xié le duō wèi xué zhě de guān diǎn.
    This article collects viewpoints from several scholars.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

采cǎipick
撷xiépluck

采 and 撷 both mean to pick or gather, so the word emphasizes gathering flowers or passages.

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 採; 采 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 采 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (采访, 采购) it is 採; in others it is 采.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
采
采cǎi採cǎi
Same sound today

The traditional form 採 combines 扌 (hand) with 采, which gives the sound and means to pick.

Open 采 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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