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喻 (yù) — (bound form) metaphor; figurative meaning; (bound form) to comprehend; to explain through analogy

Definition

喻 (yù) is a bound form meaning 'metaphor' or 'to explain by analogy' — it almost never stands alone, appearing in words like 比喻 (bǐyù, metaphor) and 不可理喻 (bù kě lǐ yù, unreasonable/incomprehensible).

bound form
metaphorfigurative meaningto comprehendto explain through analogy

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè ge bǐ yù hěn xíng xiàng.
    This metaphor is very vivid.
  • 。
    Tā shuō huà zǒng shì xǐ huan dǎ bǐ yù.
    He always likes to use metaphors when speaking.
  • 。
    Tā de xíng wéi jiǎn zhí bù kě lǐ yù.
    His behavior is simply incomprehensible.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
俞
俞yú喻⁰yù
Same sound today

喻 pairs 口 (mouth) with 俞, which gives its sound.

Appears in
Language

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