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休眠 (xiū mián) — (biology) to be dormant; to hibernate; (volcano) to be inactive; dormant; (computing) to hibernate; sleep mode

Definition

休眠 is a formal/technical verb for a sustained dormant state (biology, volcanoes, computing) — not everyday sleep (that's 睡眠), and not 沉睡, which adds a sense of deep, undisturbed sleep.

verb
(biology) to be dormantto hibernate(volcano) to be inactivedormant(computing) to hibernatesleep mode

Examples

  • 休眠。
    Běi jí xióng zài hán lěng de dōng tiān huì jìn rù xiū mián zhuàng tài.
    Polar bears enter a dormant state during the cold winter.
  • 休眠。
    Zhè zuò xiū mián huǒ shān yǐ jīng ān jìng le hěn duō nián.
    This dormant volcano has been quiet for many years.
  • ，休眠。
    Lín shí bú yòng diàn nǎo shí, kě yǐ shè zhì xiū mián mó shì lái shěng diàn.
    When not using the computer temporarily, you can set hibernate mode to save power.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

休xiūrest/cease
眠miánsleep

休 suggests resting or ceasing, and 眠 suggests sleeping, together describing dormancy.

Characters in this word

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

休 pairs 人 (man) with 木 (tree), showing a person leaning against a tree to rest.

Open 休 →

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
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
民
民mín眠mián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眠 uses 目 (eye) to show the idea of closing the eyes, with 民 giving the sound.

Open 眠 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9BiologyComputers & Internet

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