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失约 (shī yuē) — to break an appointment; to fail to keep a promise

Definition

Verb meaning 'to break an appointment or fail to keep a promise.' Focuses on the social offense of not showing up, more specific than general 'breaking one's word.'

verb
to break an appointmentto fail to keep a promise

Examples

  • 失约。
    Tā cóng lái bù shī yuē.
    He never breaks an appointment.
  • 。
    Tā zuó tiān shī le yí cì yuē.
    He broke an appointment once yesterday.
  • 失约，。
    Rú guǒ nǐ shī yuē, bié rén huì bù gāo xìng.
    If you break a promise, others will be unhappy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

失shīfail/lose
约yuēappointment/promise

“失” means to fail or lose, and “约” is the appointment or promise; together they describe failing to keep an appointment.

Characters in this word

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

The shape is explained as a fallen person's footprint surrounded by drops of blood; another reading pairs 手 (hand) and 乙 to show something falling from a hand.

Open 失 →

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 約; 约 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo約yuē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 約 uses 糸, a rope, for its meaning and 勺 for its sound; the simplified 约 is a later shorthand.

Open 约 →
Appears in
Conflict & Agreement

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