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鉴别 (jiàn bié) — to differentiate; to distinguish (often by careful examination)

Definition

鉴别 emphasizes careful expert judgment — identifying quality, authenticity, or fine differences. More formal and evaluative than 区别 or 区分, which just mark a distinction.

verb
to differentiateto distinguish (often by careful examination)

Examples

  • 鉴别。
    Zhuān jiā néng jiàn bié gǔ huà de zhēn wěi.
    Experts can distinguish the authenticity of ancient paintings.
  • 鉴别。
    Wǒ men xū yào jiàn bié zhè xiē chǎn pǐn de zhì liàng.
    We need to differentiate the quality of these products.
  • 鉴别。
    Tā tōng guò qì wèi jiàn bié bù tóng pǐn zhǒng de kā fēi.
    He distinguishes different varieties of coffee by their aroma.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

鉴jiànexamine
别biédistinguish

鉴 “examine” and 别 “distinguish” work together to mean tell things apart by careful judgment.

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 鑑; 鉴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān鑑jiàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 鑑 pairs 金, showing metal, with 監 for sound; the simplified 鉴 is a later abbreviation, not the source of this shape.

Open 鉴 →

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 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Thinking & Cognition

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