About
精 is a phono-semantic compound combining 米 (rice) on the left, which sets the semantic field of grain and food, with 青 on the right as the phonetic. Its original meaning was highly refined, polished rice that had been husked and cleaned. From this image of physical purification, the character's sense expanded into abstract domains: it came to denote essence, purity, and perfection, and later spiritual energy, vitality, elite status, and precision. In all these uses, it retains the core idea of a concentrated, purified best, the essential extract of a material or a mental state.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他今天很精神。
这本书的内容很精炼。
她做事非常精心。
我们需要精确的数据。
这是文章的精华部分。
他精通多种语言。
公司正在精简人员。
这种材料经过精心加工。
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