循 (xún) — (bound form) to follow, to abide by (used in compounds)
Definition
循 (xún) is a bound morpheme meaning 'to follow' in formal compounds — it never stands alone. Use it for sequences, rules, or precedents (循序渐进, 遵循, 循规蹈矩); for ordinary 'follow', use 跟.
bound form
to followto abide by (used in compounds)
Examples
- ，。Wǒ men yào zūn xún fǎ lǜ, bù néng wéi fǎ.We must follow the law; we cannot break it.
- 。Tā zuò shì zǒng shì xún guī dǎo jǔ.He always follows the rules.
- ，。Xué xí yīng gāi xún xù jiàn jìn, bù néng jí yú qiú chéng.Study should proceed step by step, not rush for quick results.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
彳彳chìmovement
Sound part声符shēngfú
盾
盾dùn循xún
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
循 has 彳 on the left, a part used for movement, and 盾 on the right, which gives the pronunciation.
Appears in
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