互为 (hù wéi) — mutually, each other (formal, used before a verb)

Definition

A formal adverbial connector: "mutually / each other," placed directly before a verb to show a two-way relation. More literary than 互相, which is the everyday spoken choice for the same idea.

adverb
mutuallyeach other (formal, used before a verb)

Examples

  • ，互为。
    Zài jīng jì shàng, liǎng guó hù wéi yī cún.
    Economically, the two countries are interdependent.
  • 互为，。
    Zhè liǎng gè gài niàn hù wéi bǔ chōng, quē yī bù kě.
    These two concepts complement each other; neither can be dispensed with.
  • ，互为，。
    Zài tán pàn zhōng, shuāng fāng hù wéi ràng bù, zuì zhōng dá chéng xié yì.
    During the negotiations, both sides made concessions to each other and finally reached an agreement.

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.

互hùmutual
为wèido/be

互 “mutual” and 为 “do/be” together express acting or being toward one another.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The form 互 is a tooth shape with a distinguishing mark added.

Open 互 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →

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