Meaning
抽象 means abstract or abstraction, referring to concepts, ideas, or art that are not concrete or tangible. It describes things that exist in thought or as general ideas rather than having physical form. As a verb, it means to extract the essential features from something, removing specific details to focus on general principles.
Usage
Commonly used in academic, philosophical, and artistic contexts. Native speakers use it to describe theoretical concepts, abstract art, or when something is too vague or hard to understand. Often contrasted with 具体 (jù tǐ, concrete). Can have a slightly negative connotation when something is 'too abstract' to be practical or comprehensible.
Examples
- 01这个理论太抽象了，你能举个具体的例子吗？, ?This theory is too abstract. Can you give a concrete example?
- 02毕加索的画属于抽象艺术。.Picasso's paintings belong to abstract art.
Characters
Common collocations
- 抽象概念abstract concept
- 抽象艺术abstract art
- 抽象思维abstract thinking
- 太抽象too abstract
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 抽 (to extract/draw out) and 象 (image/form), literally meaning 'to extract the image or essence.' This reflects the process of abstraction: extracting general concepts from specific instances.