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誓词 (shì cí) — oath; pledge

Definition

A formal, solemn oath or pledge — typically spoken aloud in a ceremony (court, wedding, party induction), not casual promises.

noun
oathpledge
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 誓词。
    Tā zài fǎ tíng shàng xuān dú le shì cí.
    He read out the oath in court.
  • 誓词。
    Xīn dǎng yuán miàn duì dǎng qí zhuāng yán dì niàn shì cí.
    New Party members solemnly recited the pledge facing the Party flag.
  • ，誓词。
    Zài hūn lǐ shàng, tā men xiàng duì fāng xǔ xià le shì cí.
    At the wedding, they made vows to each other.

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.

誓shìoath
词cíwords

誓 refers to an oath and 词 to words, so the sense is words used for an oath.

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
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
折
折zhé誓shì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

誓 is built from 言, meaning speech, and 折, which provides the sound. The speech part shows it is about spoken words, such as a vow.

Open 誓 →

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 詞; 词 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
司
司sī詞cí(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詞 uses 言, meaning speech, and 司 to show how it was pronounced; the simplified 词 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 词 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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