形 xíng form
form; shape; to describe
How to remember 形: 开 open + 彡 hairs = form. At the dog groomer's the door stands open, a breeze sweeps the clipped hairs into a pile, and the kids laugh at its poodle form.
Component breakdown
形 = 开 open + 彡 hairs
- 开 open
- 一 one
- 廾 two hands
- 彡 hairs
At the dog groomer's the door stands open, a breeze sweeps the clipped hairs into a pile, and the kids laugh at its poodle form.
How it is used
- 形 means shape/form and rarely stands alone; it's the root behind several distinct verbs and nouns worth telling apart.
- 形容 (xíngróng) means to describe with words/adjectives - 难以形容 (nányǐ xíngróng) hard to describe/put into words - different from 描述 (miáoshù), which describes a process or sequence of events rather than a quality.
- 形式 (xíngshì) is the format/format-level appearance of something (以...形式 in the form of...), while 形状 (xíngzhuàng) is literal physical shape (这个盒子的形状 the shape of this box).
- 形成 (xíngchéng) means "to form/take shape" for abstract things like habits or trends: 形成习惯 (xíngchéng xíguàn) to form a habit.
Words with 形
- 外形wàixíngfigureHSK 5
- 形势xíngshìcircumstancesHSK 5
- 形容xíngróngto describeHSK 5
- 形式xíngshìouter appearanceHSK 5
- 形成xíngchéngto formHSK 5
- 形状xíngzhuàngformHSK 5
- 形象xíngxiàngimageHSK 5
- 地形dìxíngtopographyHSK 6
- 形态xíngtàishapeHSK 6
- 情形qíngxingcircumstancesHSK 6
- 变形biànxíngto become deformedHSK 8
- 图形túxíngpictureHSK 8
- 形形色色xíngxíngsèsèall kinds ofHSK 8
- 形影不离xíngyǐng-bùlíinseparable (as form and shadow)HSK 8
- 无形wúxíngincorporealHSK 8
- 畸形jīxíngdeformedHSK 9
- 队形duìxíngformationHSK 9
- 隐形yǐnxínginvisibleHSK 9
Example sentences
- 这枚钻戒的形状很特别。 Zhè méi zuànjiè de xíngzhuàng hěn tèbié.The shape of this diamond is very unique.