鉴赏家 (jiàn shǎng jiā) — connoisseur

Definition

noun
connoisseur
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 鉴赏家。
    Zhè wèi jiàn shǎng jiā duì gǔ dài shū huà yǒu hěn shēn de liǎo jiě.
    This connoisseur has a deep understanding of ancient calligraphy and painting.
  • 鉴赏家。
    Tā shì yí wèi zhù míng de pú tao jiǔ jiàn shǎng jiā.
    He is a famous wine connoisseur.
  • 鉴赏家。
    Zhǐ yǒu zhēn zhèng de jiàn shǎng jiā cái néng kàn chū zhè fú huà de zhēn wěi.
    Only a true connoisseur can tell whether this painting is authentic.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

鉴赏appraise
鉴jiànexamine赏shǎngappreciate
联合Side by side
家jiāexpert

鉴赏 joins examining and appreciating, and 家 points to an expert in that skill.

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 →

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 賞; 赏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
商
商shāng賞shǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 賞 pairs 商 for sound with 貝, a cowry shell; the simplified 赏 is a shorthand.

Open 赏 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

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