歇息 (xiē xī) — to rest, to take a break; to go to bed, to sleep; to stay overnight

Definition

An everyday verb meaning 'to rest / take a break,' and by extension 'to sleep' or 'stay overnight' (as at an inn). It is reduplicated as 歇息一下 for a short rest.

verb
to restto take a breakto go to bedto sleepto stay overnight

Examples

  • ，歇息。
    Gōng zuò le yì tiān, wǒ xiǎng xiē xī yí xià.
    After a day of work, I want to rest a bit.
  • ，歇息。
    Tiān sè wǎn le, wǒ men jiù zài zhè jiā lǚ guǎn xiē xī ba.
    It's getting late, let's stay overnight at this inn.
  • ，歇息。
    Tā tài lèi le, yì huí jiā jiù xiē xī le.
    He was so tired that he went to bed as soon as he got home.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

歇xiērest
息xīrest

歇 and 息 both express stopping for rest, so together mean take a break.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
欠欠qiàn
Sound part声符shēngfú
曷
曷hé歇xiē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

歇 uses 曷 for its sound hé and 欠 for its meaning.

Open 歇 →

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

In 息, 自 is nose and 心 is heart, showing breath or life passing through one's nose.

Open 息 →

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