书生气 (shū shēng qì) — bookishness

Definition

Often a mildly negative noun: 'bookishness' — the naive, impractical air of someone whose head is in books and who seems out of touch with real life. Common as a quality to warn against.

noun
bookishness

Examples

  • 书生气，。
    Tā de shū shēng qì hěn zhòng, bú tài huì gēn rén dǎ jiāo dào.
    His bookishness is very strong; he's not very good at dealing with people.
  • 书生气，。
    Bié nà me shū shēng qì, duō chū qù zǒu zǒu kàn kàn.
    Don't be so bookish; go out and see the world more.
  • ，书生气。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng xiě dé bú cuò, dàn yǒu diǎn shū shēng qì.
    This article is well written, but a bit bookish.

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.

书生scholar
书shūbook生shēngscholar
偏正Modifier + head
气qìair

书生 refers to a scholar and 气 to an air or manner, so the quality of being bookish.

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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