Definition
从简 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to follow the principle of simplicity' or 'to simplify procedures'. It's often used in formal contexts like ceremonies, funerals, or administrative processes — for example, 丧事从简 ('funeral kept simple') or 仪式从简 ('ceremony simplified'). The verb 从 and the object 简 can split: 从了简 ('kept it simple'), 从过简 ('has been simplified'). You don't use it for everyday simplification like 'simplify a task' — that would be 简化.
v.o.
to follow the principle of simplicityto simplify (in formal or procedural contexts)
Examples
- 从简，。Zhè cì hūnlǐ yíqiè cōng, méiyǒu dà bàn.This wedding kept everything simple — no big celebration.
- ，从简。Wèile jiéyuē shíjiān, huìyì nèiróng yǐjīng cōng le.To save time, the meeting content has already been simplified.
- 从简，。Tāmen juédìng sāngshì cōng, bù pūzhāng làngfèi.They decided to keep the funeral simple, without extravagance.
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