尸身 (shī shēn) — corpse | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Formal/literary term for a 'corpse', used in forensic, archaeological, or journalistic writing. More clinical and written than the everyday 尸体.

noun

corpse

Measure word · 具

Examples

尸身。
Jǐng fāng zài hé biān fā xiàn le nà jù shī shēn.
The police discovered that corpse by the river.
尸身，。
Fǎ yī zhèng zài jiǎn chá shī shēn, yǐ què dìng sǐ yīn.
The forensic doctor is examining the corpse to determine the cause of death.
尸身。
Kǎo gǔ xué jiā zài gǔ mù zhōng fā xiàn le yí jù bǎo cún wán hǎo de shī shēn.
Archaeologists found a well-preserved corpse in the ancient tomb.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

尸 names a dead body and 身 names the body, together pointing to a corpse.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 屍; 尸 is its simplified writing.

尸死屍

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

尸

尸shī屍shī

Same sound today

The traditional form 屍 pairs 尸 as a sound part with 死 as a meaning part; this evidence does not explain 尸 alone.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Appears in

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