About
The character for makeup, now written as "妆", originates from its traditional form "妝", which combines the component for "woman" (女) with an element historically representing a bed or a wooden panel (爿), suggesting an intimate association with the private, domestic space of adornment. This structure implies a fundamental link to the act of a woman preparing her appearance, likely at a dressing table. Over centuries, its meaning concretized from a broader sense of adornment and decoration to specifically denote the application of cosmetics to the face. The simplified form "妆" maintains the essential "woman" radical while altering the other component to "丬", a stylized vestige of the original, thus preserving the core etymological idea while modifying the graphical form.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
她在化妆。
她化妆很快。
你不化妆吗？
她的化妆盒很漂亮。
新娘妆需要精心准备。
这个舞台妆效果太夸张了。
她擅长化各种时尚妆容。
素颜的她与浓妆的她判若两人。