殷切 (yīn qiè) — ardent, earnest, eager (used attributively)

Definition

A formal, written adjective meaning 'ardent, eager' — used almost exclusively as an attributive modifier (殷切的希望/目光/期望) for hopes, expectations, or gazes, not as a predicate.

adjective
ardentearnesteager (used attributively)

Examples

  • 殷切。
    Fù mǔ duì hái zi de yīn qiè qī wàng ràng wǒ hěn gǎn dòng.
    The parents' ardent expectations for their child moved me deeply.
  • 殷切，。
    Tā dài zhe yīn qiè de mù guāng kàn zhe wǒ, fǎng fú yǒu hěn zhòng yào de huà yào shuō.
    He looked at me with an earnest gaze, as if there was something very important to say.
  • 殷切，。
    Lǎo shī duì wǒ men jì yǔ le yīn qiè de xī wàng, wǒ men yí dìng nǔ lì xué xí.
    The teacher placed ardent hopes in us, and we will definitely study hard.

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.

殷yīnardent
切qièearnest

殷 and 切 both express earnest urgency, together meaning ardent or eager.

Characters in this word

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

In 殷, 㐆 shows a swollen-bellied person, and 又 and 矢 show a hand aiming an arrow-like object at the belly, giving painful earnestness; a mallet variant was linked to deep red.

Open 殷 →

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
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
七
七qī切qiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 切, the 刀 (knife) part is joined to 七, which gives the sound.

Open 切 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.