旧俗 (jiù sú) — old custom, tradition

Definition

noun
old customtradition

Examples

  • 旧俗。
    Hěn duō jiù sú xiàn zài yǐ jīng méi yǒu rén zūn shǒu le.
    Many old customs are no longer observed by anyone.
  • 旧俗。
    Zhè běn shū jiè shào le zhōng guó gǔ dài de jiù sú.
    This book introduces ancient Chinese traditions.
  • ，旧俗。
    Suí zhe shí dài fā zhǎn, yì xiē jiù sú zhú jiàn xiāo shī le.
    As times develop, some old customs gradually disappear.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

旧jiùold/former
俗súcustom

旧 (old/former) with 俗 (custom) gives an old custom.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 舊; 旧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雈雈huánowl
Sound part声符shēngfú
臼
臼jiù舊jiù
Same sound today

The traditional form of 旧 is 舊, which shows 雈, an owl, above 臼, which gives the sound.

Open 旧 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
谷
谷gǔ俗sú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

俗 is built from 亻, a person, and 谷, which gives the sound; it refers to customs of people.

Open 俗 →

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