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丧葬 (sāng zàng) — to conduct a funeral; to bury (the dead)

Definition

丧葬 (sāng zàng) refers to the whole process of funeral and burial arrangements — both the rites and the interment together. Often used in formal or written contexts rather than everyday speech.

verb
to conduct a funeralto bury (the dead)

Examples

  • 丧葬。
    Tā men zhèng zài wèi sǐ zhě sāng zàng.
    They are conducting a funeral for the deceased.
  • 丧葬。
    Àn zhào chuán tǒng de yí shì sāng zàng qīn rén.
    Bury one's loved one according to traditional rites.
  • 丧葬。
    Gǔ dài rén men huì fēi cháng zhuāng zhòng dì sāng zàng.
    In ancient times, people would conduct funerals with great solemnity.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

丧sàngfuneral rites
葬zàngburial

丧 refers to mourning or funeral rites, and 葬 refers to burial, together describing funeral arrangements.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 茻茻mǎnggrass
  • 死死sǐdead person

In 葬, 死, a dead person, is shown in 茻, grass, to picture burying the dead in grass.

Open 葬 →
Appears in
Religion & Belief

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