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历史性 (lì shǐ xìng) — historic; of historic significance

Definition

A formal adjective meaning 'historic' — used to flag a moment, event, or decision as momentous in history. Compare with 重大 ('major/significant'), which describes sheer scale rather than historical turning-point status.

adjective
historicof historic significance

Examples

  • 历史性。
    Zhè shì liǎng guó guān xì de yí gè lì shǐ xìng shí kè.
    This is a historic moment in the relationship between the two countries.
  • 历史性。
    Gāi xié yì jù yǒu lì shǐ xìng yì yì.
    The agreement is of historic significance.
  • 历史性。
    Zhè cì dēng yuè shì yí cì lì shǐ xìng shì jiàn.
    This moon landing was a historic event.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

历史history
历lìexperience史shǐhistory
联合Coordinate
性xìngcharacteristic

“历史” means history and “性” conveys characteristic, so the word describes something with the character of history.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歷; 历 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 历 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (简历, 经历) it is 歷; in others (日历) it is 曆.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
厤
厤lì歷lì
Same sound today

The form 歷 pairs 止 with the sound part 厤.

Open 历 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old drawing showed someone holding a flag-like or writing tool, indicating the act of recording events; the exact inner shape is unclear.

Open 史 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →
Appears in
History

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