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安息 (ān xī) — (euphemism for death) to rest in peace; may the deceased rest; (formal) to rest; to go to sleep

Definition

A formal euphemism meaning 'rest in peace,' used when speaking of the deceased (e.g. 安息吧). The literal sense 'to rest, to go to sleep' is secondary and literary, not everyday 'sleep' like 睡觉.

verb
(euphemism for death) to rest in peacemay the deceased rest(formal) to restto go to sleep

Examples

  • “安息”。
    Tā zài mù qián shuō le yī shēng "ān xī ba".
    He said 'Rest in peace' in front of the grave.
  • 安息。
    Zuó wǎn wǒ zhōng yú kě yǐ hǎo hǎo ān xī le.
    Last night I could finally rest well.
  • 安息。
    Zhè wèi lǎo rén ān xī zài gù xiāng de ní tǔ lǐ.
    The elderly man rests in the soil of his hometown.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

安ānpeaceful quiet
息xīrest cease

安 peaceful quiet and 息 rest cease together mean to rest, including the euphemistic sense of death.

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

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

In 息, 自 is nose and 心 is heart, showing breath or life passing through one's nose.

Open 息 →
Appears in
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