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中伤 (zhòng shāng) — to slander; to malign

Definition

中伤 (zhòng shāng) is a formal, written verb meaning 'to slander or malign' someone deliberately. It implies intentional, malicious attack on a person's reputation, stronger than casual gossip.

verb
to slanderto malign

Examples

  • 中伤。
    Tā è yì zhòng shāng tóng shì.
    He maliciously slandered his colleague.
  • 中伤。
    Nǐ bù néng zhè yàng zhòng shāng bié rén.
    You cannot slander others like this.
  • 中伤。
    Zhè zhǒng zhòng shāng de huà shì bú dào dé de.
    This kind of slanderous talk is immoral.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

中zhōnghit
伤shānghurt

Hitting and hurting combine to picture damaging someone's reputation.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

Open 中 →

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 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥏻
𥏻𥏻傷shāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Open 伤 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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