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匿名信 (nì míng xìn) — anonymous letter

Definition

noun
anonymous letter
Measure word · 封

Examples

  • 匿名信，。
    Tā shōu dào le nì míng xìn, xīn lǐ hěn jǐn zhāng.
    He received an anonymous letter and felt very nervous.
  • 匿名信。
    Zhè fēng nì míng xìn jǔ bào le gōng sī nèi bù de fǔ bài wèn tí.
    This anonymous letter reported corruption within the company.
  • 匿名信。
    Xiě nì míng xìn bìng bú shì jiě jué wèn tí de hǎo bàn fǎ.
    Writing anonymous letters is not a good way to solve problems.

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.

匿名hide name
匿nìhide名míngname
动宾Verb + object
信xìnletter

“匿” hides and “名” is the name, while “信” is the letter, together meaning a letter with hidden sender.

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
匸匸xìto conceal
Sound part声符shēngfú
若
若ruò匿nì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

匿 pairs 匸, meaning to conceal, with 若, which gives the sound.

Open 匿 →

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

名 puts 夕 (crescent moon) above 口 (mouth), showing a name spoken in the dark.

Open 名 →

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
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →
Appears in
Mail & Messaging

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