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显贵 (xiǎn guì) — eminent, distinguished, of high status

Definition

Literary, written-Chinese adjective meaning 'eminent, of high social rank' — describes prominent families or personages with aristocratic or official status. Tone is more formal and historical than everyday 高贵.

adjective
eminentdistinguishedof high status

Examples

  • 显贵。
    Tā chū shēn xiǎn guì shì jiā.
    He comes from an eminent family.
  • 显贵，。
    Zhè xiē rén jiā zú shì dài xiǎn guì, zài dāng dì hěn yǒu yǐng xiǎng lì.
    These families have been eminent for generations and are very influential locally.
  • 显贵，。
    Tā shì yí wèi xiǎn guì de xué zhě, zài lǐng yù nèi bèi shòu zūn jìng.
    She is a distinguished scholar, highly respected in her field.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

显xiǎnprominent
贵guìnoble

显 means prominent and 贵 means noble, so together they describe high status.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 顯; 显 is its simplified writing.

  • 日日rìsun
  • 絲絲sīsilk
  • 頁頁yèperson's head

For 显, the traditional form 顯 is made of 日 (sun), 絲 (silk), and 頁 (person's head).

Open 显 →

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 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney cowrie
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú貴guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →
Appears in
Social Roles & Status

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