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丧服 (sāng fú) — mourning dress (worn by mourners); burial clothes (for the deceased); (period of) mourning

Definition

Refers to both the clothes mourners wear and the burial clothes prepared for the deceased; can also name the mourning period itself. Used in traditional/funeral contexts.

noun
mourning dress (worn by mourners)burial clothes (for the deceased)(period of) mourning
Measure word · 件

Examples

  • 丧服。
    Tā chuān zhuó sāng fú cān jiā le zàng lǐ.
    He wore mourning clothes to the funeral.
  • 丧服。
    Jiā rén wéi sǐ zhě zhǔn bèi le sāng fú.
    The family prepared burial clothes for the deceased.
  • ，丧服。
    Àn zhào chuán tǒng, tā yào shǒu sān gè yuè de sāng fú.
    According to tradition, he must observe a three-month mourning period.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

丧sàngmourning
服fúclothes

“丧” (mourning) specifies the kind of “服” (clothes), giving mourning dress.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 喪; 丧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
㗊㗊㗊many mouths
Sound part声符shēngfú
桑
桑sāng喪sàng
Same sound today

The traditional form 喪 originally paired 桑 (mulberry tree) with 㗊 (many mouths). The simplified 丧 is the modern form, deriving from a form that used 哭 (cry) and 亡 (die).

Open 丧 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
凡凡fántray
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬝
𠬝𠬝服fú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Open 服 →
Appears in
Chinese Culture & CustomsClothing

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