HSK · Level 74
60 words
Chinese word
传记
Pronunciation
Pinyinzhuàn jì
Meaning
- nounbiography
Example
她计划写一部关于母亲的传记。tā jì huà xiě yí bù guān yú mǔ qīn de zhuàn jì
She plans to write a biography of her mother.
More examples
他在图书馆借了一本关于音乐家的传记。tā zài tú shū guǎn jiè le yì běn guān yú yīn yuè jiā de zhuàn jì
He borrowed a biography of a musician from the library.
Core concept
A factual account that follows one person's life and deeds from an outside viewpoint.
Common phrases
写传记xiě zhuàn jì
write a biography
撰写传记zhuàn xiě zhuàn jì
write a biography
出版传记chū bǎn zhuàn jì
publish a biography
人物传记rén wù zhuàn jì
biography of a person
Similar words
自传zì zhuàn: A person's own written account of their life and experiences.
回忆录huí yì lù: A personal record based on memory that focuses on a period or event.
Definition in Chinese
以第三者视角记述某人生平与事迹的书面或口述材料，侧重事实与经历的叙述。yǐ dì sān zhě shì jiǎo jì shù mǒu rén shēng píng yǔ shì jì de shū miàn huò kǒu shù cái liào cè zhòng shì shí yǔ jīng lì de xù shù
Word origin
传记 (zhuànjì, "biography") combines 传 (zhuàn, "to pass on") and 记 (jì, "to record"), forming the idea of recording a life so it can be passed on.
Usage tips
- The first syllable has the falling tone zhuàn, not the rising tone chuán, so its pronunciation differs from the common verb meaning "to pass on."
Related words
- 传记文学zhuàn jì wén xuébiographical literaturenoun
- 传记作家zhuàn jì zuò jiābiographernoun
- 传记体zhuàn jì tǐbiographical stylenoun