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因果 (yīn guǒ) — cause and effect (general sense); (Buddhism) karma; preordained fate

Definition

因果 (yīn guǒ) covers two senses: in ordinary use, 'cause and effect' (the principle that actions have consequences); in Buddhist context, 'karma' — the moral cause-and-effect spanning past, present, and future lives.

noun
cause and effect (general sense)(Buddhism) karmapreordained fate

Examples

  • 因果。
    Rèn hé shì qing dōu yǒu tā de yīn guǒ.
    Everything has its cause and effect.
  • 因果，。
    Fó jiào jiǎng yīn guǒ bào yìng, quàn rén xíng shàn.
    Buddhism teaches karmic retribution and urges people to do good.
  • 因果。
    Tā xiāng xìn jīn shēng de kǔ nàn shì qián shì yīn guǒ de jié guǒ.
    He believes that the suffering in this life is the result of karma from a previous life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

因yīncause
果guǒeffect

因 means cause and 果 means effect; side by side they give cause and effect.

Characters in this word

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

  • 囗囗wéisheet
  • 大大dàperson

Originally, 因 showed 大 (a person) on 囗 (a sheet or mattress).

Open 因 →

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

果 originally drew fruits hanging on a tree.

Open 果 →
Appears in
Cause, Effect & LogicReligion & Belief

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