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灭迹 (miè jī) — to destroy evidence; to eliminate traces

Definition

A separable verb (离合词) used mostly in crime/legal contexts, meaning to destroy evidence or wipe out traces. Split as 灭…迹 in negation or with complements, as in 灭不了迹.

verb
to destroy evidenceto eliminate traces

Examples

  • 灭迹。
    Tā fàn xià zuì xíng hòu shì tú miè miè jī.
    He tried to destroy evidence after committing the crime.
  • ，。
    Tā miè bù liǎo jì, yīn wèi jǐng chá lái de tài kuài le.
    He couldn't destroy the evidence because the police came too fast.
  • ，灭迹。
    Wèi le bì miǎn bèi fā xiàn, tā xuǎn zé le miè miè jī.
    To avoid being discovered, he chose to destroy the evidence.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

灭mièdestroy
迹jìtrace

“灭” means destroy and “迹” means traces, so together they mean destroying traces.

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 滅; 灭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
烕
烕miè滅miè
Same sound today

The traditional form 滅 pairs 氵 (water) with 烕 as a sound part to mean extinguish by water; the simplified 灭 is a later shorthand.

Open 灭 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòmove
Sound part声符shēngfú
朿
朿cì迹jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

迹 pairs 辶, a movement part, with 亦, a sound part; an older form used 朿.

Open 迹 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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