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犹大 (Yóu dà) — Judas (biblical figure; also used figuratively for a traitor)

Definition

Refers to Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. In Chinese it is also used figuratively to label a traitor, as in the example “像犹大一样背叛朋友”.

noun
Judas (biblical figure; also used figuratively for a traitor)

Examples

  • 犹大。
    Yóu dà Shì chū mài yē sū de mén tú.
    Judas is the disciple who betrayed Jesus.
  • 犹大。
    Tā yīn wèi xiàng Yóu dà yí yàng bèi pàn péng you ér shòu dào qiǎn zé.
    He was condemned for betraying a friend like Judas.
  • ，“犹大”。
    Zài zhōng wén lǐ, "Yóu dà" cháng yòng lái zhǐ dài pàn tú.
    In Chinese, "Judas" is often used to refer to a traitor.

Origin

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 猶; 犹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
酋
酋qiú猶yóu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 猶 combines 犬 (dog) with 酋 as a sound part, and the evidence identifies it as a kind of monkey. The simplified 犹 is a shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 犹 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →
Appears in
Religion & Belief

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