戴孝 (dài xiào) — to be in mourning (by wearing traditional mourning clothes)

Definition

戴孝 (dài xiào) means wearing mourning clothes or showing visible mourning after a relative's death, tied to traditional Chinese funeral custom. It describes the outward ritual act, not the inner feeling of grief (which is 哀悼).

verb
to be in mourning (by wearing traditional mourning clothes)

Examples

  • ，戴孝。
    Tā fù qīn qù shì le, tā dài xiào.
    His father passed away, so he is in mourning.
  • 。
    Tā gěi yé ye dài le sān nián xiào.
    He mourned his grandfather for three years.
  • ，戴孝。
    Àn zhào chuán tǒng, zǐ nǚ yào wèi fù mǔ dài xiào.
    According to tradition, children must be in mourning for their parents.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

戴dàiwear
孝xiàomourning

“戴” wear and “孝” mourning combine to mean wear mourning clothes.

Characters in this word

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

戴 originally drew a person holding something on their head with both hands.

Open 戴 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 耂耂lǎoan old man with long hair, bent over
  • 子子zǐa child

孝 puts 耂, an old man with long hair, bent over, above 子, a child, to show filial care between generations.

Open 孝 →

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