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凋谢 (diāo xiè) — to wither, to wilt (of flowers, leaves, etc.)

Definition

凋谢 describes the natural withering and falling of flowers or leaves over time. Compared with 枯萎 (a state — already dry and shriveled), 凋谢 emphasizes the process of fading and dropping.

verb
to witherto wilt (of flowers, leaves, etc.)

Examples

  • 凋谢。
    Zhè xiē huā dū diāo xiè le.
    All these flowers have withered.
  • ，凋谢。
    Qiū tiān dào le, shù yè kāi shǐ diāo xiè.
    Autumn has arrived, and the leaves begin to wither.
  • 凋谢。
    Měi lì de qīng chūn bú huì qīng yì diāo xiè.
    Beautiful youth does not easily wither.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

凋diāowither
谢xièfall

凋 suggests withering, and 谢 suggests falling or fading; together they describe flowers or leaves losing freshness.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 凋 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 謝; 谢 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword; speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
射
射shè謝xiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 謝 pairs 言 (word; speech) with 射, which gives the sound. The simplified 谢 is a written form of this character.

Open 谢 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Plants & Flowers

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