襟 (jīn) — (bound form) front part of a garment (as in 衣襟); (bound form) breadth of mind, aspiration (as in 胸襟, 襟怀)
Definition
襟 is a bound morpheme — it never stands alone, but combines to form common compounds: 衣襟 (the front of a garment, used literally), 胸襟 / 襟怀 (breadth of mind, figuratively, a more literary word than 胸怀).
bound form
front part of a garment (as in 衣襟)breadth of mindaspiration (as in 胸襟, 襟怀)
Examples
- ，。Tā xiōng jīn kāi kuò, cóng bú jì jiào xiǎo shì.He is broad-minded and never fusses over small matters.
- ，。Zhè wèi lǐng dǎo rén xiōng jīn wú sī, shēn shòu rén mín ài dài.This leader is open-minded and selfless, deeply loved by the people.
- 襟，。Tā men liǎ shì lián jīn, guān xì yì zhí hěn hǎo.The two of them are brothers-in-law (married to sisters), and they've always had a good relationship.
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.
襟 pairs ⻂ (clothing, full form 衣) with 禁 for the sound; it refers to the seam or collar of a garment.
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