HSK · Level 95
45 words
Chinese word
字眼
Pronunciation
Pinyinzì yǎn
Meaning
- nounwording
Example
说话要注意字眼，别得罪人。shuō huà yào zhù yì zì yǎn bié dé zuì rén
Watch your wording when you speak so you do not offend people.
More examples
他说话总喜欢抓住别人的字眼来反驳。tā shuō huà zǒng xǐ huān zhuā zhù bié rén de zì yǎn lái fǎn bó
He always likes to seize on other people's words to argue back.
Core concept
A small verbal choice that acts as a lens, bringing a sentence's emphasis and attitude into view.
Common phrases
抓住字眼zhuā zhù zì yǎn
seize on wording
刻意的字眼kè yì de zì yǎn
deliberately chosen wording
Similar words
用词yòng cí: The choice of words used to express something in speech or writing.
措辞cuò cí: The phrasing chosen to express an idea or message.
语气yǔ qì: The tone carried by speech or writing, showing the speaker's or writer's attitude or feeling.
说法shuō fǎ: A way of expressing or explaining a matter in words.
Definition in Chinese
指在言语或书写中具体选择的词句和措辞，用来强调一句话的重点、语气或含义。zhǐ zài yán yǔ huò shū xiě zhōng jù tǐ xuǎn zé de cí jù hé cuò cí yòng lái qiáng diào yí jù huà de zhòng diǎn yǔ qì huò hán yì
Word origin
The compound 字眼 (zìyǎn, "wording") joins 字 (zì, "written character") and 眼 (yǎn, "eye"), treating a noticeable word or phrase as the eye of an utterance.
Usage tips
- A speaker can criticize the 字眼 (zìyǎn, "wording") without rejecting the whole idea, because the concern may be the social effect of one carefully chosen expression.
Other meanings
- expressionnoun
- phrasenoun