忘怀 (wàng huái) — to forget (formal, literary; often used in nega… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

忘怀 is a formal/literary verb meaning 'to forget', almost always used in negative contexts like 难以忘怀 ('hard to forget') or 不能忘怀. Far more formal and written than everyday 忘记.

verb

to forget (formal, literary; often used in negative constructions like 难以忘怀)

Examples

，。
Nà duàn jīng lì, wǒ dào xiàn zài yě nán yǐ wàng huái.
That experience is still hard for me to forget even now.
忘怀。
Qǐng bú yào wàng huái wǒ men céng jīng de yuē dìng.
Please don't forget the promise we once made.
忘怀。
Shí jiān huì ràng rén wàng huái hěn duō shì qing.
Time makes people forget many things.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

忘 (forget) and 怀 (mind) combine as forgetting what is in the mind.

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.

亡心忘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

亡

亡wáng忘wàng

Same sound today

忘 combines 亡, which gives the sound, with 心 (“heart”), showing the sense is about the heart or mind.

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 懷; 怀 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

褱

褱huái懷huái

Same sound today

The traditional form 懷 uses 心 (heart) to show longing and 褱 for the sound; the simplified 怀 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Thinking & Cognition

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