修身 (xiū shēn) — to cultivate one's moral character; self-cultivation

Definition

A classical/Confucian term meaning to cultivate one's moral character through self-discipline. Written and formal — used in philosophical or literary contexts rather than everyday speech.

verb
to cultivate one's moral characterself-cultivation

Examples

  • 修身，。
    xiū shēn Hěn zhòng yào, shì rú jiā sī xiǎng de hé xīn.
    Cultivating one's moral character is very important; it is the core of Confucian thought.
  • 修身。
    Tā měi tiān tōng guò dú shū lái xiū shēn.
    He cultivates his moral character through reading every day.
  • ，。
    Tā xiū le yí bèi zi de shēn, shǐ zhōng yāo qiú zì jǐ pǐn xíng duān zhèng.
    He cultivated his moral character all his life, always demanding upright conduct of himself.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

修xiūcultivate
身shēnbody or self

修 means to cultivate, and 身 refers to the body or self, so the word is about cultivating one's conduct.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.

Open 修 →

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

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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