题字 (tí zì) — to inscribe (characters on a painting, monument, etc.); inscription; autograph

Definition

题字 (tí zì) is the verb–noun pair for an inscribed or autographed text: 'to inscribe' (a work, a place, a gift) and the 'inscription' or 'autograph' itself.

verb
to inscribe (characters on a painting, monument, etc.)inscriptionautograph

Examples

  • ，题字。
    Zhè fú huà shì qí bái shí huà de, shàng miàn yǒu tā de tí zì.
    This painting was done by Qi Baishi, and it has his inscription on it.
  • 。
    Tā qǐng shū fǎ jiā tí le jǐ gè zì.
    He asked a calligrapher to inscribe a few characters.
  • 题字。
    Zhè běn shū shàng yǒu zuò zhě de qīn bǐ tí zì.
    This book has the author's personal autograph.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

题tíinscribe
字zìcharacters

题 means to inscribe or write, and 字 is the characters written, giving an inscription.

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 題; 题 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì題tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 题, the traditional form 題 uses 是 for sound and 頁 for head, and means 'forehead'.

Open 题 →

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
子
子zǐ字zì
Same sound today

字 pairs 宀 (roof) with 子 (child); 子 gives the sound, while 宀 relates to the meaning.

Open 字 →

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