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厄运 (è yùn) — bad luck, misfortune, adversity

Definition

厄运 is a formal, literary noun for 'misfortune' or 'bad fate' — stronger and more fate-like than the everyday 不幸, which can also be an adjective.

noun
bad luckmisfortuneadversity

Examples

  • 厄运。
    Zhè cì shī bài duì tā lái shuō shì yí cì chén zhòng de è yùn.
    This failure was a heavy misfortune.
  • 厄运。
    Tā zài è yùn zhōng yī rán jiān chí zì jǐ de lǐ xiǎng.
    He still held on to his ideals in the midst of adversity.
  • 厄运。
    Méi yǒu rén néng yì zhí bì kāi è yùn.
    No one can always avoid misfortune.

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.

厄èdisaster
运yùnluck

A 厄, or disaster, on the 运, or luck, gives the meaning of misfortune.

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
卪卪jiéjoint; node
Sound part声符shēngfú
厂
厂chǎng厄è
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 厄 may come from a drawing of a kneeling figure 卪 with a small stroke 厂 marking the knee.

Open 厄 →

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 運; 运 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòmotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn運yùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 運 combines 辵, meaning motion, with 軍 to give the sound; the simplified 运 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 运 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract ConceptsGambling & Chance

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