经济危机 (jīng jì wēi jī) — economic crisis

Definition

noun
economic crisis

Examples

  • 经济危机。
    Zhè cì jīng jì wēi jī duì hěn duō guó jiā dōu yǒu yǐng xiǎng.
    This economic crisis has affected many countries.
  • 经济危机。
    jīng jì wēi jī Dǎo zhì shī yè lǜ shàng shēng.
    The economic crisis caused the unemployment rate to rise.
  • 经济危机。
    Zhèng fǔ cǎi qǔ le hěn duō cuò shī lái yìng duì jīng jì wēi jī.
    The government took many measures to deal with the economic crisis.

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.

经济economy
经jīngmanage济jìaid
联合Side by side
危机crisis
危wēidanger机jīcritical moment
偏正Modifier + head

经济 points to the economy, and 危机 names a dangerous moment, together describing an economic crisis.

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 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng經jīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

Open 经 →

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 濟; 济 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí濟jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 濟 pairs 水 (water) with 齊, which gives the sound; the simplified 济 is a later shorthand.

Open 济 →

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

  • 厃厃wěiperson on a cliff or mountain
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

危 is built from 厃, showing a person on a cliff or mountain, and 卩, showing a kneeling person.

Open 危 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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