红晕 (hóng yùn) — blush, flush (on the face)

Definition

红晕 (hóngyùn) is a literary noun for a soft pink flush or glow on the face — more vivid and pictorial than 'blush', and used in writing rather than everyday speech.

noun
blushflush (on the face)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 红晕。
    Tā liǎn shàng fàn qǐ yì mǒ hóng yùn.
    A blush spread across her face.
  • 红晕。
    Yùn dòng hòu tā de liǎn shàng chū xiàn le hóng yùn.
    After exercising, a flush appeared on his face.
  • ，红晕。
    Tīng dào zàn měi, tā de hóng yùn gèng shēn le.
    Hearing the praise, her blush deepened.

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.

红hóngred
晕yūnhalo

红 gives red and 晕 gives a soft circular tint.

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 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng紅hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

Open 红 →

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 暈; 晕 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rìSun
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn暈yùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 暈 first drew 日 (the sun) ringed by lines for a halo, and later paired 日 with the sound part 軍. The simplified 晕 is a later abbreviation.

Open 晕 →

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