verb HSK 4
Traditional 抄寫
chāo xiě
to copy · to transcribe · to write out by hand

Meaning

抄写 means to copy or transcribe something by writing it out by hand. It refers to the act of manually reproducing text from one source to another, character by character. This word is commonly used in educational contexts where students copy texts to practice writing, or in any situation where manual transcription is needed.

Usage

This verb is commonly used in classroom settings when teachers ask students to copy vocabulary, passages, or notes. It emphasizes the manual, handwritten aspect of copying, as opposed to photocopying or digital duplication. Native speakers often use it with objects like 生词 (new words), 课文 (texts), or 笔记 (notes).

Examples

  1. 01
    老师让我们把这些生词抄写五遍。
    Lǎo shī ràng men zhè xiē shēng chāo xiě biàn.
    The teacher had us copy these new words five times.
  2. 02
    他正在抄写古代诗人的作品。
    zhèng zài chāo xiě dài shī rén de zuò pǐn.
    He is transcribing the works of ancient poets.

Characters

Measure words

  • biàn抄写三遍

Common collocations

  • 抄写生词
    chāo xiě shēng
    to copy new vocabulary
  • 抄写课文
    chāo xiě wén
    to copy the text
  • 抄写作业
    chāo xiě zuò
    to copy homework
  • 认真抄写
    rèn zhēn chāo xiě
    to copy carefully

Antonyms

Origin

抄 originally meant to take or seize with the hand, and evolved to mean copying. Combined with 写 (to write), the compound emphasizes the physical act of writing out copied material.

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