离异 (lí yì) — (formal) to divorce | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

离异 (líyì) is a formal verb meaning 'to divorce,' used mainly in writing and official contexts like 离异家庭. Compared with the everyday 离婚, it sounds more legal and abstract.

verb

(formal) to divorce

Examples

离异。
Tā men jié hūn shí nián hòu lí yì le.
They divorced after ten years of marriage.
离异。
Zhè fèn wén jiàn shì guān yú lí yì shǒu xù de.
This document is about divorce procedures.
离异。
lí yì Jiā tíng de hái zi xū yào gèng duō guān ài.
Children from divorced families need more care and love.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

离líseparate

异yìapart

离 (separate) and 异 (apart) together express the separation of a marriage.

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 離; 离 is its simplified writing.

离隹離

Meaning part形符xíngfú

隹隹zhuībird

Sound part声符shēngfú

离

离lí離lí

Same sound today

The traditional form 離 pairs 隹, a bird, with the sound part 离; the simplified 离 is a shorthand. This form first wrote a black-naped oriole, and the sound was borrowed for 'leave'.

Open 离 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 異; 异 is its simplified writing.

田共異