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盛事 (shèng shì) — grand occasion, great event

Definition

A formal written word for a grand, widely celebrated event (festivals, Olympics, cultural milestones). It sounds more literary and elevated than just calling something a 活动 or 事情.

noun
grand occasiongreat event
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 盛事。
    Ào yùn huì duì měi gè zhǔ bàn guó lái shuō dōu shì yí cì guó jì shèng shì.
    The Olympics is an international grand occasion for every host country.
  • 盛事。
    Zhè chǎng yīn yuè huì chéng le quán chéng zhǔ mù de wén huà shèng shì.
    This concert became a cultural great event attracting the whole city's attention.
  • 盛事。
    Tā men yòng yì chǎng shèng dà de hūn lǐ lái jì niàn rén shēng shèng shì.
    They celebrated life's great occasion with a grand wedding.

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.

盛shènggrand
事shìevent

“盛” (grand) specifies the kind of “事” (event).

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
皿皿mǐn
Sound part声符shēngfú
成
成chéng盛shèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

盛 combines 成 as a sound part with 皿 as a meaning part; the 皿 side points to a vessel, which fits meanings such as hold and fill.

Open 盛 →

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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