共存 (gòng cún) — to coexist

Definition

verb
to coexist
Easily confused

Examples

  • 共存。
    Bù tóng wén huà kě yǐ hé píng gòng cún.
    Different cultures can coexist peacefully.
  • 共存。
    Rén lèi bì xū xué huì yǔ zì rán gòng cún.
    Humans must learn to coexist with nature.
  • 共存。
    Zhè liǎng zhǒng lǐ lùn shì kě yǐ gòng cún de.
    These two theories can coexist.

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.

共gòngtogether
存cúnexist

共 means together and 存 means exist, so it describes existing together.

Characters in this word

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

  • 廾廾gǒngtwo hands
  • 口口kǒuan object

共 shows 廾, two hands, holding up an object. That object was written 口 and later became the 廿-like top.

Open 共 →

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
子子zǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
才
才cái存cún
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

存 pairs 子 with 才, which was used for the sound.

Open 存 →

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