绝对真理 (jué duì zhēn lǐ) — absolute truth (philosophy)

Definition

noun
absolute truth (philosophy)

Examples

  • ，绝对真理。
    Zài zhé xué zhōng, jué duì zhēn lǐ shì yí gè zhòng yào de gài niàn.
    In philosophy, absolute truth is an important concept.
  • ，绝对真理。
    Kē xué jiā men bú duàn tàn suǒ, dàn jué duì zhēn lǐ kě néng yǒng yuǎn wú fǎ dá dào.
    Scientists continuously explore, but absolute truth may never be reached.
  • 绝对真理。
    Xiāng duì zhēn lǐ hé jué duì zhēn lǐ shì biàn zhèng tǒng yī de.
    Relative truth and absolute truth are dialectically unified.

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.

绝对absolute
绝juécut off对duìrelative
动宾Verb + object
真理truth
真zhēntrue理lǐprinciple
偏正Modifier + head

绝对 (absolute) marks 真理 (truth), a 理 (principle) that is 真 (true) and not relative.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

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
貝貝bèicowrie; shell
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂈
𠂈𠂈真zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

真 pairs 貝 (cowrie shell, used for the meaning) with 𠂈, which gave the sound and originally drew a headlong fall.

Open 真 →

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
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ理lǐ
Same sound today

理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.

Open 理 →

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