寂寥 (jì liáo) — lonely and still; desolate; (of a place) quiet and empty

Definition

Literary word for a place or mood that is quiet, empty, and lonely — stronger and more written than 安静 ('quiet'). Often used for landscapes or a felt sense of solitude.

adjective
lonely and stilldesolate(of a place) quiet and empty

Examples

  • ，寂寥。
    Shēn yè lǐ, sì zhōu yí piàn jì liáo.
    In the dead of night, everything around was still and desolate.
  • 寂寥。
    Tā dú zì zǒu zài jì liáo de jiē dào shàng.
    He walked alone on the desolate street.
  • 寂寥。
    Qiū tiān ràng rén gǎn dào yì zhǒng jì liáo de měi.
    Autumn gives people a feeling of a lonely, still beauty.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

寂jìquiet
寥liáosparse

「寂」 as quiet and 「寥」 as sparse combine to describe a lonely, desolate stillness.

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miánhouse
Sound part声符shēngfú
叔
叔shū寂jì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

寂 is built from 宀, a house, and 叔, which gives its pronunciation.

Open 寂 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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