Chinese word

镶嵌

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiāng qiàn

Meaning

  • verbset

Example

她在戒指上镶嵌了一颗小钻石。tā zài jiè zhǐ shàng xiāng qiàn le yì kē xiǎo zuàn shí

She set a small diamond in the ring.

Illustration for 镶嵌 (set)

More examples

教堂窗户上镶嵌着彩色玻璃。jiào táng chuāng hù shàng xiāng qiàn zhe cǎi sè bō lí

The church window is set with colored glass.

Core concept

A small piece is fixed inside a shaped space so that it functions as part of a finished object.

Common phrases

  • 戒指上镶嵌宝石jiè zhǐ shàng xiāng qiàn bǎo shí

    set gemstones in a ring

  • 墙面上镶嵌马赛克qiáng miàn shàng xiāng qiàn mǎ sài kè

    set mosaic in a wall

  • 镶嵌玉石xiāng qiàn yù shí

    set jade

Similar words

嵌入qiàn rù: Places something snugly inside or on a surface so it joins with the surrounding structure.
插入chā rù: Pushes something through an opening or into an inner space.
塞入sāi rù: Forces something into a gap until it fills the space tightly.
固定gù dìng: Fastens something in place so it remains steady and fixed.

Definition in Chinese

把宝石、装饰物或小零件牢固地嵌入器物、金属或材料的凹槽或台座中，使其成为装饰或构件的一部分。bǎ bǎo shí zhuāng shì wù huò xiǎo líng jiàn láo gù dì qiàn rù qì wù jīn shǔ huò cái liào de āo cáo huò tái zuò zhōng shǐ qí chéng wéi zhuāng shì huò gòu jiàn de yí bù fèn

Word origin

镶嵌 (xiāngqiàn, "to set or inlay") pairs 镶 (xiāng, "to mount as decoration") with 嵌 (qiàn, "to fit into a hollow"), a formation that reflects both attachment and position.

Usage tips

  • The verb often appears in descriptions of how an object is made, especially when a detail is meant to remain visibly and firmly integrated rather than simply placed nearby.

Other meanings

  • embedverb
  • inlayverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 镶嵌工艺xiāng qiàn gōng yìinlay worknoun
  • 镶嵌物xiāng qiàn wùinlaynoun

Word lists with this word