善忘 (shàn wáng) — forgetful; having a bad memory

Definition

A more literary, written-style way to say 'forgetful' than the everyday 忘性大 or 记性不好. Often used to describe a general tendency rather than a single lapse.

adjective
forgetfulhaving a bad memory

Examples

  • ，善忘。
    Tā nián jì dà le, biàn de hěn shàn wáng.
    He's getting older and has become very forgetful.
  • 善忘，。
    Wǒ zuì jìn shàn wáng, bǎ yào shi yòu wàng zài bàn gōng shì le.
    I've been forgetful lately and left my keys in the office again.
  • 善忘。
    shàn wáng De rén zuì hǎo bǎ zhòng yào shì qing jì zài shǒu jī shàng.
    People who are forgetful should record important things on their phone.

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.

善shànapt
忘wàngforget

Apt to 忘, i.e. forgetful.

Characters in this word

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

An earlier form of 善 joined 羊, a sheep linked with goodness or beauty, and 誩, described as a wrangle; the reference says this meaning link is hard to understand.

Open 善 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng忘wàng
Same sound today

忘 combines 亡, which gives the sound, with 心 (“heart”), showing the sense is about the heart or mind.

Open 忘 →

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