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褒义 (bāo yì) — commendatory sense, positive connotation (of a word or expression)

Definition

A linguistics term for the positive, approving meaning a word or phrase carries — the opposite of 贬义. Used when discussing word choice, style, or connotation in writing and analysis.

noun
commendatory sensepositive connotation (of a word or expression)

Examples

  • 褒义？
    Zhè ge cí shì bāo yì hái shì biǎn yì?
    Does this word have a positive or negative connotation?
  • “”褒义。
    "Yǒng gǎn" shì yí gè bāo yì cí.
    "Brave" is a word with a positive connotation.
  • 褒义。
    Xiě zuò shí yào zhù yì cí yǔ de bāo yì hé biǎn yì.
    When writing, pay attention to the positive and negative connotations of words.

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.

褒bāocommend
义yìmeaning

The 义 meaning carries a 褒 commendatory tone.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
保
保bǎo褒bāo
Same sound today

褒 combines 衣, a meaning part, with 保, a sound part.

Open 褒 →

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 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →
Appears in
Language

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