立誓 (lì shì) — to take an oath; to vow (formal)

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to swear an oath, to vow' — usually for solemn, public promises (loyalty, secrecy, duty). Stronger and more literary than the everyday 发誓.

verb
to take an oathto vow (formal)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 立誓。
    Tā zài zhòng rén miàn qián lì shì yǒng bú bèi pàn.
    He swore in front of everyone never to betray.
  • 立誓。
    Tā men lì shì yào gòng tóng shǒu hù zhè ge mì mì.
    They vowed to jointly guard this secret.
  • 立誓。
    Jiāng jūn lì shì bǎo wèi guó jiā.
    The general swore to defend the country.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

立lìestablish
誓shìoath

The action of 立, establish, is applied to 誓, oath, meaning to vow.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

立 pictures a person standing on the ground.

Open 立 →

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
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
折
折zhé誓shì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

誓 is built from 言, meaning speech, and 折, which provides the sound. The speech part shows it is about spoken words, such as a vow.

Open 誓 →

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