胁 (xié) — (bound form) flank, side of the body; (bound form) to coerce, to force
Definition
A bound morpheme (always part of a compound): 胁部 = the side/flank of the body; 威胁, 胁迫 = to coerce or threaten.
bound form
flankside of the bodyto coerceto force
Easily confused
- 协xiélook-alike(bound form) to coordinate, to assist, to cooperate (used in compounds)
- 鞋xiésound-alikeshoe
- 叶xiésound-alikeharmonize; be in harmony (literary, bound form)
- 邪xiésound-alikeevil, wicked, demonic
- 携xiésound-aliketo carry, to take along (formal/literary)
- 斜xiésound-alike(adjective) slanted, oblique, inclined, tilted
Examples
- ，。Tā shòu dào wēi xié, bù dé bù dā ying.He was threatened and had to agree.
- 。Dí rén xié pò tā tóu xiáng.The enemy coerced him to surrender.
- 胁。Tā de xié bù shòu le zhòng shāng.His flank was seriously injured.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 脅; 胁 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
劦
劦xié脅xié
Same sound today
The traditional form 脅 combines 肉, flesh, with 劦 for the sound; the simplified 胁 is a later shorthand.
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