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固有 (gù yǒu) — intrinsic, inherent, native (as in a quality or characteristic that is essential to something)

Definition

固有 describes a quality that is essentially and originally part of something. It is more formal than 内在 and emphasizes that the trait belongs to the thing by its very nature.

adjective
intrinsicinherentnative (as in a quality or characteristic that is essential to something)

Examples

  • 固有。
    Wén huà zhōng cún zài yì xiē gù yǒu de jià zhí.
    There are some intrinsic values in culture.
  • 固有。
    Zhè ge wèn tí shì zhì dù gù yǒu de quē xiàn.
    This problem is an inherent flaw of the system.
  • 固有。
    Měi gè rén dōu yǒu gù yǒu de zūn yán.
    Every person has inherent dignity.

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.

固gùoriginally
有yǒuhave

固 (originally) and 有 (have) describe something that has belonged from the start.

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
囗囗wéi
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ固gù
Same sound today

固 combines 囗, which relates to the meaning, with 古, which gives the sound.

Open 固 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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