泾渭分明 (jīng wèi fēn míng) — (chengyu) to be as different as night and day; to be clearly distinguished

Definition

A chengyu meaning two things are completely and obviously different, with no overlap or ambiguity. From the Jing and Wei rivers, whose waters famously remain separate where they meet.

idiom
(chengyu) to be as different as night and dayto be clearly distinguished

Examples

  • 泾渭分明，，。
    Zhè liǎng jiā gōng sī de fā zhǎn lǐ niàn jīng wèi fēn míng, yí gè zhù zhòng lì rùn, yí gè zhù zhòng huán bǎo.
    The development philosophies of these two companies are clearly distinct—one focuses on profit, the other on environmental protection.
  • ，泾渭分明，。
    Tā men suī rán shì shuāng bāo tāi, dàn xìng gé jīng wèi fēn míng, yí gè ān jìng yí gè huó pō.
    Although they are twins, their personalities are entirely different—one is quiet and the other lively.
  • ，泾渭分明，。
    Zài dào dé wèn tí shàng, shì fēi duì cuò bì xū jīng wèi fēn míng, bù néng hán hu.
    On moral issues, right and wrong must be clearly distinguished and cannot be ambiguous.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

泾渭Jing and Wei rivers
泾jīngJing River渭wèiWei River
联合Side by side
分明clear and distinct
分fēndistinct明míngclear
联合Side by side

“泾” and “渭” are two rivers; “分” and “明” say their difference is clear.

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 涇; 泾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng涇Jīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 涇 pairs 水 (water) with 巠 as a sound part; the simplified 泾 is a later abbreviation.

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
胃
胃wèi渭Wèi
Same sound today

The name 渭 is built from 水, pointing to water, and 胃, which gives the pronunciation.

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

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

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

明 combines 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), showing the sun just rising while the moon has not yet set, or two bright objects in the sky, to express brightness.

Open 明 →

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