About
The character "秀" is structurally composed of "禾", denoting a grain plant, and "乃", which serves as a phonetic component in its standard formation. Its original semantic field was agricultural, specifically referring to the earring or flowering stage of cereal crops, indicating growth and productivity. Over time, this concrete meaning expanded metaphorically to describe human qualities of excellence and refinement, as seen in classical terms like "秀才" for a learned individual. This semantic shift extended the character's use to encompass notions of showcasing talent or superior attributes, leading to its modern verbal sense of "to show" or "to exhibit" in various contexts.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这里的风景很秀丽。
她有一头秀美的长发。
他的成绩很优秀。
妹妹的字体很秀气。
她在秀场上走秀。
他喜欢秀自己的新车。
这对夫妻经常秀恩爱。
演员在节目中秀出了精湛的演技。