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健在 (jiàn zài) — to be still living and in good health (formal, used of elderly people)

Definition

A formal written term meaning an elderly person is still living and in good health. Used in respectful or literary contexts (e.g. about a grandparent or centenarian), not in casual everyday speech.

verb
to be still living and in good health (formal, used of elderly people)

Examples

  • 健在，。
    Tā de fù mǔ dōu hái jiàn zài, shēn tǐ hěn hǎo.
    Both his parents are still alive and in good health.
  • 健在，。
    Zhè wèi bǎi suì lǎo rén jiàn zài, jīng shén hěn hǎo.
    This centenarian is still living in good health and is in high spirits.
  • 健在，。
    Tīng shuō nín jiā zǔ fù hái jiàn zài, zhēn shì fú qi.
    I heard your grandfather is still alive and well — that's truly a blessing.

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.

健jiànhealthy
在zàialive

The sense of 健 (healthy) is added to 在 (alive) to describe someone still living in good health.

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
建
建jiàn健jiàn
Same sound today

The left part 亻 depicts a person, and the right part 建 gives the sound.

Open 健 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

The early form of 在 used 才 for its sound; a second sound part 士 was added later, and that 士 became the 土 seen in 在.

Open 在 →
Appears in
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