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别离 (bié lí) — to leave, to take leave of (formal, literary)

Definition

A formal, literary verb meaning 'to part / to take leave of' — far more common in writing (especially poetry) than in everyday speech, where 离开 is used instead.

verb
to leaveto take leave of (formal, literary)

Examples

  • 别离，。
    bié lí De shí hou, wǒ men yī yī bù shě.
    At the time of parting, we were reluctant to leave each other.
  • 别离，。
    Yǔ lǎo péng you bié lí, xīn zhōng shí fēn nán guò.
    Parting with an old friend, I felt very sad.
  • 别离。
    Zhè shǒu gǔ shī miáo xiě le bié lí de shāng gǎn.
    This ancient poem depicts the sadness of parting.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

别biéleave
离líseparate

别 and 离 both express separation, so 别离 means parting or taking leave.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 別; 别 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 別 pairs 冎 (bone) with 刀 (knife), showing a knife cutting up bone and flesh. The simplified 别 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 别 →

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 離; 离 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
离
离lí離lí
Same sound today

The traditional form 離 pairs 隹, a bird, with the sound part 离; the simplified 离 is a shorthand. This form first wrote a black-naped oriole, and the sound was borrowed for 'leave'.

Open 离 →
Appears in
Travel & Tourism

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