故态复萌 (gù tài fù méng) — (idiom) to slip back into one's old ways; to re… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A written idiom meaning someone returns to a bad habit they had supposedly given up. Carries a disapproving tone — the old behavior is seen as a relapse, not just a change of mind.

idiom

to slip back into one's old waysto revert to former behavior

Examples

，故态复萌。
Tā jiè le yān sān gè yuè, méi xiǎng dào zuì jìn yòu gù tài fù méng le.
He quit smoking for three months, but unexpectedly he's slipped back into his old ways recently.
，，故态复萌，。
Jīng guò jiào yù, tā běn gāi gǎi guò zì xīn, què gù tài fù méng, ràng rén shī wàng.
After being educated, he should have turned over a new leaf, but he reverted to his old ways, which was disappointing.
故态复萌，。
Wǒ men yào jǐng tì zì jǐ bú yào gù tài fù méng, jiān chí liáng hǎo de xí guàn.
We must be vigilant not to slip back into our old ways and to maintain good habits.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

故态old attitude

故gùold态tàiattitude

偏正Modifier + head

复萌sprout again

复fùagain萌méngsprout

偏正Modifier + head

故态 means old attitude, and 复萌 means sprout again; the phrase pictures former behavior growing again.

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.

古攵故

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攵Written in full as攴pū

Sound part声符shēngfú

古

古gǔ故gù

Same sound today

故 uses 古 for the sound and 攵, written in full as 攴, for the meaning.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

太心态

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

太

太tài态tài

Same sound today

态 is made of 太, which gives the sound, and 心 (heart).

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 復; 复 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 复 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (复习, 恢复) it is 復; in others (复印, 复杂) (答复, 反复) it is 複 or 覆.

彳复復

Meaning part形符xíngfú

彳彳chìwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

复

复fù復fù

Same sound today

The traditional form 復 combines 彳, a walking part, with 复, a sound part, to show walking back and forth.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

艹明萌

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

明

明míng萌méng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 艹 shows a plant, and the bottom 明 gives the sound for 萌.

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