吸血鬼 (xī xuè guǐ) — vampire (mythical creature); (figurative) bloodsucker, exploiter

Definition

Word-for-word 'blood-sucking ghost': a vampire in folklore, and by extension a ruthless person who exploits others. Unlike most animals, it refers to a mythic creature, not a real one.

noun
vampire (mythical creature)(figurative) bloodsuckerexploiter
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 吸血鬼。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng jiǎng de shì xī xuè guǐ hé rén lèi de gù shi.
    This movie tells the story of vampires and humans.
  • ，吸血鬼。
    Tā shì yí gè xī xuè de zī běn jiā, bèi chēng wéi xiàn dài xī xuè guǐ.
    He is a blood-sucking capitalist, known as a modern vampire.
  • 吸血鬼。
    Chuán shuō zhōng xī xuè guǐ hài pà yáng guāng hé shí zì jià.
    Legend says vampires fear sunlight and crucifixes.

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.

吸血suck blood
吸xīsuck血xuèblood
动宾Verb + object
鬼guǐghost

“吸” (suck) and “血” (blood) describe what the “鬼” (ghost) does.

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí吸xī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

吸 pairs 口 (mouth) with 及, which gives the sound and relates to grabbing, so the shape suggests grabbing through the mouth.

Open 吸 →

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

  • 一一yīdrop of blood
  • 皿皿mǐncontainer

The shape shows 一, a drop of blood, inside 皿, a container, for blood held in a sacrificial vessel.

Open 血 →

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

鬼 originally drew a kneeling figure with an ugly face, perhaps a mask; the small lower right dot is a later added tail.

Open 鬼 →
Appears in
Mythology & Folklore2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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