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影子 (yǐng zi) — shadow; reflection; (fig.) trace; hint; influence

Definition

影子 is the concrete 'shadow / reflection' (on the ground, in water), and figuratively a faint 'trace' of something — weaker than 痕迹 (a physical mark left behind) and more everyday than 阴影 (which carries a dark, psychological tone).

noun
shadowreflection(fig.) tracehintinfluence
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，影子。
    Tài yáng hěn dà, dì shàng méi yǒu yǐng zi.
    The sun is very strong, there is no shadow on the ground.
  • 影子。
    Tā zài shuǐ lǐ kàn dào le zì jǐ de yǐng zi.
    He saw his own reflection in the water.
  • 影子，。
    Zhè jiàn shì méi yǒu yì diǎn yǐng zi, nǐ bié xìn.
    This matter has no trace of truth, don't believe it.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

影yǐngshadow
子zǐfamiliar form

影 carries the idea of a shadow, and 子 makes the word familiar and everyday.

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
景
景jǐng影yǐng
Same sound today

影 pairs 景, which gives the sound and also carries the idea of image, with 彡, the part that points to shadow.

Open 影 →

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 5

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