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座右铭 (zuò yòu míng) — motto; maxim

Definition

A motto you place by your desk (literally 'inscription on the right of the seat') as a personal guiding principle. Compare 名言, which is any famous saying; 座右铭 is specifically the one you adopt for yourself.

noun
mottomaxim

Examples

  • 座右铭。
    Tā de zuò yòu míng yì zhí jī lì zhe tā bú duàn qián jìn.
    His motto has always inspired him to keep moving forward.
  • 座右铭。
    Wǒ bǎ zì jǐ zuì xǐ huan de yí jù huà dàng zuò zuò yòu míng.
    I take my favorite sentence as my motto.
  • 座右铭，。
    Zhè zhāng zuò yòu míng tiē zài shū zhuō shàng fāng, měi tiān dōu néng kàn dào.
    This motto is pasted above the desk so I can see it every day.

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.

座右right side of the seat
座zuòseat右yòuright side
偏正Modifier + head
铭mínginscription

“座右” (right side of the seat) and “铭” (inscription) name a saying kept near the seat.

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
广广guǎnghouse on cliff
Sound part声符shēngfú
坐
坐zuò座zuò
Same sound today

座 pairs 广, a house on a cliff, with 坐 to give the sound.

Open 座 →

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu右yòu
Same sound today

右 is made from 又, which supplied the sound, with 口 added as a distinguishing mark.

Open 右 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 銘; 铭 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 銘 has 金 (metal) and 名 (name), and refers to engraving in metal; the simplified 铭 is a later shorthand.

Open 铭 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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