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激荡 (jī dàng) — (of emotions, water) to surge, to rage, to seethe; (figurative) to stir up, to agitate (thoughts, historical currents)

Definition

Literary verb for emotions or currents 'surging and churning' — stronger and more turbulent than the gentler 荡漾. 沸腾 is reserved for liquids or atmosphere erupting in excitement; 激荡 stirs the mind or an era.

verb
(of emotions, water) to surgeto rageto seethe(figurative) to stir upto agitate (thoughts, historical currents)

Examples

  • 激荡。
    Zhè xiē wǎng shì zài tā nǎo hǎi lǐ fǎn fù jī dàng.
    These past events kept churning in his mind.
  • 激荡，。
    Kuáng fēng jī dàng zhe hǎi miàn, jù làng yí gè jiē yí gè.
    The gale lashed the sea, waves coming one after another.
  • 激荡。
    Nà ge shí dài de sī cháo jī dàng le zhěng gè shè huì.
    The intellectual currents of that era stirred the whole society.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

激jīstir
荡dàngsway

激 suggests stirring or agitating, and 荡 suggests swaying, together describing a surging motion.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
敫
敫jiǎo激jī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 激, the 氵 side marks water, and 敫 gives the sound jiǎo; the original sense is water swashing.

Open 激 →

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 蕩; 荡 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 荡 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 蕩; in others it is 盪.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
湯
湯tāng蕩dàng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

About the traditional form 蕩: it is made of 艹 (grass, written fully as 艸) and 湯, which gives the sound. The simplified 荡 is only a later shorthand.

Open 荡 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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