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幽会 (yōu huì) — a secret meeting between lovers; to have a tryst

Definition

A 'tryst' — a secret romantic meeting between lovers, usually illicit or hidden. As a verb, it can also mean to have such a meeting.

a secret meeting between loversto have a tryst
Measure word · 次

Examples

  • 幽会。
    Tā men jīng cháng zài gōng yuán lǐ yōu huì.
    They often have secret meetings in the park.
  • 幽会。
    Zuó wǎn tā men yōu huì le yí gè xiǎo shí.
    They rendezvoused for an hour last night.
  • 幽会。
    Zhè cì yōu huì bèi bié rén fā xiàn le.
    This tryst was discovered by others.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

幽yōusecret
会huìmeeting

幽 (secret) and 会 (meeting) combine to mean a secret meeting.

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
山山shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢆶
𢆶𢆶幽yōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

幽 pairs 山, mountain, with 𢆶 as a sound part.

Open 幽 →

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 會; 会 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
合合héto meet
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡆧
𡆧𡆧會huì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Traditional 會 pairs 合 (to meet) with 𡆧, an original form for ironware, to give the sound. The simplified 会 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 会 →
Appears in
Romance & Marriage

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