昔 (xī) — former times, the past
Definition
昔 is a literary bound form meaning 'the past / former times', almost always seen in set phrases like 昔日, 往昔, or 昔日时光. It contrasts with 今 jīn ('the present').
bound form
former timesthe past
Examples
- 。Tā cháng cháng huí yì xī rì de měi hǎo shí guāng.He often recalls the good times of former days.
- ，。Yǔ xī rì xiāng bǐ, xiàn zài de shēng huó hǎo duō le.Compared to the past, life now is much better.
- 。Wǎng xī de shì qing jiù bú yào zài tí le.Don't mention things of the past anymore.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
龷
龷龷昔xī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The lower 日 is a sun/day, pointing to past days; the upper 龷 gives the sound and was first drawn as a wrinkled or intertwined texture.
Appears in
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