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意味深长 (yì wèi shēn cháng) — (of words, expressions, etc.) meaningfully profound; full of deep meaning

Definition

A formal written phrase meaning 'full of deep, lingering meaning' — used for words, looks, or gestures that imply more than they say. Much more literary than just saying 意思 (meaning).

verb
(of words, expressions, etc.) meaningfully profoundfull of deep meaning

Examples

  • 意味深长，。
    Tā lí kāi shí de nà jù huà yì wèi shēn cháng, ràng wǒ xiǎng le hěn jiǔ.
    The words he said when leaving were full of meaning, and I thought about them for a long time.
  • 意味深长。
    Tā duì wǒ lù chū le yí gè yì wèi shēn cháng de wēi xiào.
    She gave me a meaningful smile.
  • 意味深长，。
    Zhè piān xiǎo shuō de jié wěi yì wèi shēn cháng, liú gěi dú zhě wú xiàn xiá xiǎng.
    The ending of this novel is profound, leaving readers with boundless imagination.

Origin

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 意 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
未
未wèi味wèi
Same sound today

味 combines 口 (mouth) with 未, which gives the sound wèi; the mouth part relates to taste.

Open 味 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍深shēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

深 is built from 氵, the side form of 水 “water”, and 𥥍, which supplies the sound.

Open 深 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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