癖 (pǐ) — obsession; eccentric habit; addiction (used as a bound form in compounds)
Definition
A bound noun used only in compounds meaning an obsessive, eccentric personal habit or craving — usually a quirk, not a neutral interest. Common in words like 怪癖 (eccentric habit) and 洁癖 (obsession with cleanliness).
bound form
obsessioneccentric habitaddiction (used as a bound form in compounds)
Examples
- 。Tā yǒu jié pǐ.She has a cleanliness obsession.
- 。Zhè shì yì zhǒng guài pǐ.This is a kind of eccentric habit.
- 。Tā de pǐ hào shì shōu jí yóu piào.His hobby/obsession is collecting stamps.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
癖 is made of 疒 (written in full as 病, an illness form) and 辟, which gives the sound.
Appears in
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