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悲剧性 (bēi jù xìng) — tragic nature, tragic quality

Definition

A noun for the abstract 'tragic quality or tragic nature' of a person, work, or event — the quality that makes something feel tragic, not the work itself (which would be 悲剧).

noun
tragic naturetragic quality

Examples

  • 悲剧性。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō de bēi jù xìng ràng rén gǎn dào fēi cháng chén zhòng.
    The tragic nature of this novel makes people feel very heavy.
  • 悲剧性。
    Tā de rén shēng chōng mǎn le bēi jù xìng.
    His life is full of tragedy.
  • 悲剧性。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng de bēi jù xìng yuán yú zhǔ jué de mìng yùn.
    The tragic nature of this movie stems from the protagonist's fate.

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.

悲剧tragedy
悲bēisorrowful剧jùdrama
偏正Modifier + head
性xìngquality

悲剧 is a sorrowful drama, and 性 marks the quality of being tragic.

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
心心xīnheart; thought; emotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
非
非fēi悲bēi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

悲 pairs 非 as the sound part with 心, the heart/emotion part.

Open 悲 →

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 劇; 剧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
豦
豦jù劇jù
Same sound today

The traditional form 劇 pairs 豦, which gives the sound, with 刀, a knife; the simplified 剧 is a later shorthand.

Open 剧 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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