生疑 (shēng yí) — become suspicious

Definition

生疑 means 'to become suspicious' — a literary/formal verb (used in writing and news) describing doubt arising in one's mind, not a passing suspicion in casual talk.

verb
become suspicious

Examples

  • 生疑。
    Tā zuì jìn duì zhè jiàn shì kāi shǐ shēng yí.
    He has recently begun to become suspicious of this matter.
  • ，。
    Tā tīng le zhè xiē huà, bù yóu de shēng qǐ yí lái.
    After hearing these words, she couldn't help but become suspicious.
  • ，。
    Lǎo bǎn duì tā shēng le yí, kāi shǐ àn zhōng diào chá.
    The boss became suspicious of him and began a covert investigation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

生shēngproduce
疑yídoubt

“生” suggests producing and “疑” suggests doubt, so the sense is producing doubt and becoming suspicious.

Characters in this word

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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

  • 大大dàstanding human figure
  • 夂夂zhǐtilted head with open mouth
  • 丨丨gǔncane

疑 depicts a standing figure 大 with a tilted, open-mouthed head 夂 and a cane 丨, a confused person looking around for direction.

Open 疑 →

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