结怨 (jié yuàn) — to incur enmity; to make enemies

Definition

结怨 (jiéyuàn) means 'to incur enmity' — to form a lasting grudge or hostile relationship with someone. Often used in the pattern 与/跟…结怨 or 结怨已深 for a deep, hard-to-resolve feud.

verb
to incur enmityto make enemies

Examples

  • ，结怨。
    Tā yīn wèi shuō cuò huà, gēn hěn duō rén jié yuàn le.
    He made enemies with many people because of saying the wrong thing.
  • 结怨，。
    Tā men liǎng jiā jié yuàn yǐ shēn, hěn nán hé jiě.
    The two families have deep-seated enmity; it's hard to reconcile.
  • 结怨，。
    Zán men bié jié yuàn le, gè ràng yí bù ba.
    Let's not make enemies; each side give a little.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

结jiéform/tie
怨yuànresentment

结 means to form or tie and 怨 is resentment, together meaning to form enmity.

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 結; 结 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
吉
吉jí結jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 結 pairs 糸 with 吉; 吉 gives the sound, and 糸 relates to the meaning. The simplified 结 is a later shorthand.

Open 结 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
夗
夗wǎn怨yuàn
Same sound today

怨 has 心 (heart) below and 夗 above as a sound part; the heart part shows the meaning concerns feelings.

Open 怨 →

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