介紹

See also: 紹介 and 介绍

Chinese

		introduce; lie between; between	connect; to introduce
trad. (介紹)		介	紹
simp. (介绍)		介	绍
anagram		紹介／绍介

Etymology

From 《禮記·聘義》：.

介紹而傳命，君子於其所尊弗敢質，敬之至也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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介绍而传命，君子于其所尊弗敢质，敬之至也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Jiè shào ér chuán mìng, jūnzǐ yú qí suǒzūn fúgǎn zhì, jìng zhī zhì yě. [Pinyin]

The messages (between the visitor and the host) were passed through all the attendants, from one to another. A superior man, where he wishes to do honour, will not venture to communicate directly and in person. This was a high tribute of respect.

See also the Etymology section at 紹介.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jièshào

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄕㄠˋ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gaai³ siu⁶

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): gai¹ siau⁵

• Gan (Wiktionary): 'gai⁴ seu⁵
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): kie-seu / kiai-seu
• Eastern Min (BUC): gái-siêu
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kài-siāu

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gai³ siao⁶

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁵cia-zau

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jièshào → jièshao (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄕㄠˋ → ㄐㄧㄝˋ ˙ㄕㄠ (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jièshåo
    • Wade–Giles: chieh⁴-shao⁵
    • Yale: jyè-shau
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jieh.shaw
    • Palladius: цзешао (czešao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɑʊ̯⁵¹/ → /t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹ ʂɑʊ̯¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gaai³ siu⁶
    • Yale: gaai siuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gaai³ siu⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: gai³ xiu⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaːi̯³³ siːu̯²²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: gai¹ siau⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai³³ siau³²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: 'gai⁴ seu⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˈkai³⁵ sɛu¹¹/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kie-seu
    • Hakka Romanization System: gie seu
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gie⁴ seu⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ki̯e⁵⁵ seu̯⁵⁵/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kiai-seu
    • Hakka Romanization System: giai seu
    • Hagfa Pinyim: giai⁴ seu⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ki̯ai̯⁵⁵ seu̯⁵⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gái-siêu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai²¹³⁻⁵³ ^(s-)liɛu²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kài-siāu
    • Tâi-lô: kài-siāu
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kaesiau
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kai²¹⁻⁵³ siau²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kai⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ siau⁴¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kai²¹⁻⁴¹ siau³³/
    • IPA (Singapore): /kai²¹⁻⁴² siau²²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kai¹¹⁻⁵³ siau³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: gai³ siao⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kài siău
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai²¹³⁻⁵⁵ siau³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁵cia-zau
    • MiniDict: cia^去 zau
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²jia-zau
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕia³³ zɔ⁴⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: keajH dzyewX

Rime
Character	介	紹
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)	常 (25)
Final (韻)	皆 (33)	宵 (91)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	II	III
Fanqie	古拜切	市沼切
Baxter	keajH	dzyewX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kˠɛiH/	/d͡ʑiᴇuX/
Pan Wuyun	/kᵚæiH/	/d͡ʑiɛuX/
Shao Rongfen	/kɐiH/	/d͡ʑjæuX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kəɨjH/	/d͡ʑiawX/
Li Rong	/kɛiH/	/ʑiɛuX/
Wang Li	/kɐiH/	/ʑĭɛuX/
Bernard Karlgren	/kăiH/	/ʑi̯ɛuX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jiè	shào
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gaai3	siu6

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*kreːds  djewʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	介
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jiè
Middle Chinese	‹ kɛjH ›
Old Chinese	/*kˁr[e]p-s/
English	armour; scale of animals
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	介	紹
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	6525	2144
Phonetic component	介	刀
Rime group	祭	宵
Rime subdivision	2	2
Corresponding MC rime	誡	紹
Old Chinese	/*kreːds/	/*djewʔ/

Verb

介紹

1. to introduce
2. to recommend
3. to explain (a situation); to brief
4. (Philippine Hokkien) to introduce a possible romantic partner

Synonyms

• (to introduce): (someone to someone else) 引見／引见 (yǐnjiàn)
• (to recommend):

• 保舉／保举 (bǎojǔ) (literary, to recommend somebody for a post with one's personal guarantee)
• 保薦／保荐 (bǎojiàn) (literary, to recommend someone for a promotion)
• 建議／建议 (jiànyì)
• 引薦／引荐 (yǐnjiàn)
• 引進／引进 (yǐnjìn)
• 推舉／推举 (tuījǔ)
• 推薦／推荐 (tuījiàn)
• 推選／推选 (tuīxuǎn)
• 提議／提议 (tíyì)
• 舉薦／举荐 (jǔjiàn)
• 薦舉／荐举 (jiànjǔ)

 

• (to explain):

• 交代 (jiāodài)
• 分解 (fēnjiě)
• 拆白 (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien, Taiwanese Hokkien)
• 拆破 (Zhangzhou Hokkien, Taiwanese Hokkien)
• 解說／解说 (jiěshuō)
• 解釋／解释 (jiěshì)
• 訓／训 (xùn) (literary, or in compounds, meanings of words)
• 說／说
• 說明／说明 (shuōmíng)
• 說解／说解 (shuōjiě) (literary)
• 講明／讲明 (jiǎngmíng)
• 講解／讲解 (jiǎngjiě)
• 開釋／开释 (kāishì) (literary)
• 闡明／阐明 (chǎnmíng)
• 闡發／阐发 (chǎnfā)
• 闡說／阐说 (chǎnshuō)
• 闡論／阐论 (chǎnlùn) (literary)
• 闡釋／阐释 (chǎnshì)
• 陳／陈 (chén) (literary, or in compounds)

 

Derived terms

• 介紹人／介绍人 (jièshàorén)
• 介紹信／介绍信 (jièshàoxìn)
• 介紹所／介绍所 (jièshàosuǒ)
• 自我介紹／自我介绍 (zìwǒ jièshào)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (介紹):

• → Vietnamese: giới thiệu (介紹)

Further reading

• “Entry #727”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.