境况 (jìng kuàng) — condition, circumstances | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

conditioncircumstances

Examples

境况。
Tā de jīng jì jìng kuàng yuè lái yuè hǎo le.
His financial circumstances are getting better and better.
，境况。
Bān dào xīn chéng shì hòu, wǒ de jìng kuàng yǒu le hěn dà gǎi shàn.
After moving to a new city, my situation improved a lot.
境况。
Gōng sī de jìng kuàng zuì jìn hěn kùn nan.
The company's circumstances have been very difficult recently.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

境jìngsituation

况kuàngcondition

境 and 况 both point to a situation, giving the sense of overall condition.

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.

土竟境

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

竟

竟jìng境jìng

Same sound today

境 pairs 土 (earth) with 竟, which gives the sound; the 土 part carries the meaning.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 況; 况 is its simplified writing.

氵兄況

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐriver

Sound part声符shēngfú

兄

兄xiōng況kuàng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 況 pairs 氵 (river) with 兄 as the sound part; the simplified 况 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Appears in

Abstract Concepts

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