扼腕 (è wàn) — (literary) to wring one's wrist in anguish; to… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A literary verb meaning to wring one's wrist in deep regret or frustration over something one cannot change. Stronger than 遗憾 — it shows visible anguish, not just feeling sorry.

verb

(literary) to wring one's wrist in anguishto express deep regret or frustration

Examples

，扼腕。
Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā zhǐ néng è wàn tàn xī.
Upon hearing this news, he could only wring his wrist and sigh.
，扼腕。
Duì yú zhè yàng de jié guǒ, dà jiā wú bú è wàn.
Everyone wrung their wrists in anguish over such an outcome.
扼腕。
Tā yīn cuò shī liáng jī ér è wàn bù yǐ.
He wrung his wrist endlessly over missing the golden opportunity.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

扼 (grip) and 腕 (wrist) form the image of gripping one's wrist in regret.

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.

扌厄扼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

厄

厄è扼è

Same sound today

The left side is 扌, a hand; the right side is 厄, which gives the sound.

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

⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body part

Sound part声符shēngfú

宛

宛wǎn腕wàn

Same sound today

腕 pairs ⺼ (meat/body part) with 宛, which gives the sound; the ⺼ part marks it as a body part.

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