依然 (yī rán) — still; as before; yet | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Written/literary 'still, as before' — more formal than 还是, close in meaning to 仍然 but slightly more literary. Use in essays, reports, and formal writing rather than everyday speech.

adverb

stillas beforeyet

Examples

，依然。
Jǐn guǎn tiān qì bù hǎo, tā yī rán àn shí dào dá le.
Although the weather was bad, he still arrived on time.
，依然。
Duō nián bú jiàn, tā yī rán nà me nián qīng piào liang.
After years without seeing her, she still looks so young and beautiful.
依然。
Zhè ge wèn tí yī rán méi yǒu jiě jué.
This problem still hasn't been solved.

Origin

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

依yīfollow

依 points to following an earlier state, while 然 adds the sense of being so, so 依然 means still.

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.

亻衣依

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénhuman

Sound part声符shēngfú

衣

衣yī依yī

Same sound today

依 is made from 亻, a person, plus 衣, which gives its sound.

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

火火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

肰

肰rán然rán

Same sound today

然 is made from 肰, which gives the sound, and 火, which shows fire, matching the old sense 'to burn'.

Appears in

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