衷 (zhōng) — (bound form) inner feelings, heart; (bound form) middle, compromise
Definition
衷 is a bound form: it only appears inside compounds like 衷心 (sincere) and 折衷 (compromise). It means 'inner feelings' in the first group and 'middle / compromise' in the second.
bound form
inner feelingsheartmiddlecompromise
Easily confused
- 衰cuīlook-alikedecline; wane
- 中zhōngsound-alikemiddle, center
- 哀āilook-alike(bound form) sorrowful, lamenting, tragic (used in compound words)
- 钟zhōngsound-alike(noun) handleless cup; goblet
- 亵xièlook-alike(bound form) irreverent, disrespectful, obscene (used in compound words)
- 终zhōngsound-alike(bound form) end, finish
Examples
- 。Wǒ zhōng xīn gǎn xiè dà jiā de bāng zhù.I sincerely thank everyone for their help.
- ，。Tā shuō huà yán bù yóu zhōng, wǒ bú tài xiāng xìn.His words don't come from the heart; I don't really trust him.
- ，。Shuāng fāng gè tuì yí bù, zhé zhōng jiě jué le zhēng yì.Both sides made concessions and compromised to resolve the dispute.
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.
The shape of 衷 combines 衣 (clothes) and 中 (middle; center), with 中 giving the sound.
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