形容

The Chinese character 形容 (xíngróng) is composed of two parts: 形 (xíng), meaning "form" or "shape", and 容 (róng), meaning "to contain" or "to hold". Together, they form the verb 形容 (xíngróng), which means "to describe" or "to depict".The earliest known use of 形容 in this sense dates back to the 3rd century BC, when it was used in the philosophical text Huainanzi. In this text, 形容 is used to describe the way in which the external world can be represented in the mind.Over time, 形容 came to be used more broadly to refer to any kind of description, whether it be of a physical object, a person, or an event. It can also be used to describe the way in which something is expressed, such as the style of a piece of writing or the tone of a voice.In modern Chinese, 形容 is a common word that is used in a variety of contexts. It is an important word for HSK learners to know, as it is used in many everyday expressions.