Meaning of 描述
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to describe
- description
How to use 描述
描述 is used for describing people, things, feelings, or events, often in a neutral, factual way. It works as a verb and also as a noun meaning a description. Example: 请描述一下那个人。(Qǐng miáoshù yíxià nàge rén.) Please describe that person.
描 (miáo) means to trace or draw, as in 素描 (sùmiáo) sketch, and 述 (shù) means to state or tell, as in 陈述 (chénshù). Put them together: you draw a picture with words when you 描述 something.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 描述 with 描写 (miáoxiě). 描写 is mostly used for literary writing that portrays scenes or characters, while 描述 is the everyday word for describing something in speech or plain writing. Also watch the tones: miáo is second tone and shù is fourth.
描述 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
描 miáo · to copy · 11 strokes
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述 shù · to express · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 描述.
| 描写 | miáoxiě | to describe; to depict; to portray; depiction; portrayal |
| 扫描 | sǎomiáo | to scan |
| 陈述 | chénshù | to state; to declare |
| 讲述 | jiǎngshù | to talk about; to narrate; to give an account |
| 描绘 | miáohuì | to describe; to depict; to portray |
| 素描 | sùmiáo | sketch |
| 叙述 | xùshù | to relate (a story or information); to tell or talk about |
| 上述 | shàngshù | aforementioned; above-mentioned |
| 阐述 | chǎnshù | to expound (a position); to elaborate (on a topic) |
| 表述 | biǎoshù | to express; to articulate; to formulate |
| 论述 | lùnshù | treatise; discourse |
| 综上所述 | zōngshàng-suǒshù | to summarize; to sum up |
Questions about 描述
What does 描述 mean?
描述 (miáoshù) means "to describe; description" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 描述?
描述 is made of 2 characters: 描 (11 strokes), 述 (8 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 描述 an HSK word?
Yes. 描述 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 描述 and 讲述?
讲述 (jiǎngshù) means to tell or narrate, usually a story or a sequence of events. 描述 focuses on what something looks like or how it is, not on the storyline.
Can 描述 be used as a noun?
Yes. You can say 他的描述很准确 (tā de miáoshù hěn zhǔnquè), His description is very accurate. It often appears this way in phrases like 产品描述 (chǎnpǐn miáoshù), product description.