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恋情 (liàn qíng) — romantic love; love affair

Definition

恋情 (liànqíng) is a more formal, literary word for a romantic relationship, often used in writing or headlines. Unlike 爱情 (abstract 'love/romance' as a feeling), 恋情 refers to the relationship itself, with a specific partner.

noun
romantic lovelove affair

Examples

  • 恋情。
    Zhè duàn liàn qíng chí xù le sān nián.
    This romantic relationship lasted three years.
  • 恋情。
    Tā de liàn qíng gù shi gǎn dòng le hěn duō rén.
    Her love story moved many people.
  • 恋情。
    Tā men gōng kāi le liàn qíng.
    They made their romantic relationship public.

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.

恋liànlove
情qíngfeeling

恋 (love) and 情 (feeling) combine as a love feeling.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 戀; 恋 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌戀liàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 戀 pairs 心 (heart) with 䜌 as a sound part; 恋 is a later simplified form.

Open 恋 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng情qíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →
Appears in
Romance & Marriage

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