伸缩

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 这种材料能自由伸缩。▶ —
   This material can freely stretch and contract.
2. 计划要有一定的伸缩余地。▶ —
   A plan should have some flexibility.

Collocations

Mnemonic

伸 shēn "to stretch" + 缩 suō "to contract": to stretch and contract, i.e. to be elastic, to expand and shrink. Same as the Korean word sin-chuk (伸縮). It pairs the antonyms 伸 and 缩. Two shades: physical stretching and shrinking (自由伸缩) and figurative flexibility or leeway (伸缩余地 room for flexibility). 伸 means "to stretch" (伸手 to reach out); 缩 means "to contract" (收缩). An antonym compound.

Related

Quick check

1. What is the relation of the characters in 伸缩?

   • 伸 "stretch" ↔ 缩 "contract", antonyms
   • both "stretch"
   • both "contract"
   • same sound only