盈亏 (yíng kuī) — (noun) profit and loss; financial gain and loss; (noun) waxing and waning (of the moon)

Definition

A fixed pair meaning both the financial profit-and-loss side of a business and the literal waxing-and-waning of the moon — two unrelated senses on one term.

noun
profit and lossfinancial gain and losswaxing and waning (of the moon)

Examples

  • 盈亏。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī qù nián de yíng kuī qíng kuàng hěn hǎo.
    This company's profit/loss situation last year was very good.
  • 盈亏。
    Gǔ rén guān chá yuè liang de yíng kuī lái liǎo jiě shí jiān.
    Ancient people used to learn about time by observing the moon's waxing and waning.
  • 盈亏。
    Měi gè jì dù gōng sī dōu yào zuò yíng kuī fēn xī.
    Every quarter the company performs a profit/loss analysis.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

盈yíngfull/gain
亏kuīloss/wane

盈 and 亏 name opposite movements, together giving gain and loss or waxing and waning.

Characters in this word

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

  • 夃夃gǔ
  • 皿皿mǐnvessel

盈 combines 夃 and 皿 (vessel), but the meaning of 夃 is unclear, so the full origin of the shape is uncertain.

Open 盈 →

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 虧; 亏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亏亏kuīexhale
Sound part声符shēngfú
雐
雐hū虧kuī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 虧 pairs 雐, a sound part, with 亏, a part meaning exhale. The simplified 亏 is a later abbreviation.

Open 亏 →

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