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烙印 (lào yìn) — (n.) brand; mark (literal or figurative); (v.) to brand; to leave a lasting impression

Definition

Both a literal 'brand' burned onto an animal and, more often in HSK 7 reading, a figurative 'lasting mark' on the mind or memory. As a verb it takes the object before it (e.g. 把那段记忆烙印在心里).

(n.) brandmark (literal or figurative)(v.) to brandto leave a lasting impression
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 烙印。
    Zhè ge mù chǎng de niú shēn shàng dōu yǒu lào yìn.
    All the cattle on this ranch have brands.
  • 烙印。
    Tóng nián de jīng lì zài tā xīn zhōng liú xià le shēn shēn de lào yìn.
    His childhood experiences left a deep mark on his heart.
  • 烙印。
    Nà duàn lì shǐ lào yìn zài měi yí gè rén de jì yì lǐ.
    That period of history is branded into everyone's memory.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

烙làobrand
印yìnmark

烙 is the branding action, and 印 is the lasting mark it leaves.

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
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè烙lào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 火 is fire, showing that 烙 relates to heat or burning. The right part 各 gives the sound.

Open 烙 →

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

  • 爪爪zhuǎhand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

Open 印 →
Appears in
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