情况 (qíng kuàng) — situation; circumstances; state of affairs

Definition

情况 is the general-purpose word for 'situation/circumstances' (things, events, or a person's condition). Compared to 状态, it covers a wider range of situations; 情形 is its close written synonym.

noun
situationcircumstancesstate of affairs
Measure word · 个, 种

Examples

  • 情况？
    Nǐ néng gào sù wǒ xiàn zài shì shén me qíng kuàng ma?
    Can you tell me what the situation is now?
  • 情况，。
    Yù dào zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng, wǒ men yīng gāi xiān lěng jìng xià lái.
    When encountering this kind of situation, we should stay calm first.
  • 情况。
    Tā de shēn tǐ qíng kuàng zuì jìn hǎo duō le.
    His physical condition has recently improved a lot.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

情qíngcondition
况kuàngcircumstance

Both 情 and 况 mean condition, together naming a situation.

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
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 →

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 況; 况 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐriver
Sound part声符shēngfú
兄
兄xiōng況kuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 況 pairs 氵 (river) with 兄 as the sound part; the simplified 况 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 况 →
Appears in
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