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幽谷 (yōu gǔ) — deep, secluded valley; isolation, obscurity (figurative)

Definition

A literary term for a deep, quiet valley hidden from the world — 'a secluded valley' with a poetic, nature-writing feel, not the everyday word for valley (谷). Used figuratively to suggest isolation or retreat from society.

noun
deepsecluded valleyisolationobscurity (figurative)

Examples

  • 幽谷。
    Zhè zuò shān lǐ yǒu yí gè měi lì de yōu gǔ.
    There is a beautiful secluded valley in this mountain.
  • 幽谷，。
    yōu gǔ Zhōng xī shuǐ chán chán, niǎo yǔ huā xiāng.
    In the secluded valley, streams murmur and birds sing among fragrant flowers.
  • 幽谷，。
    Tā xuǎn zé yǐn jū zài yōu gǔ, yuǎn lí chén xiāo.
    He chose to live in seclusion in a secluded valley, far from the noise of the world.

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yōusecluded
谷gǔvalley

A 谷 that is 幽, deep and secluded, forms the sense of a secluded valley.

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 →

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

The shape of 谷 comes from a picture of a valley: an opening between two near-parallel lines for mountain walls.

Open 谷 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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