踪影 (zōng yǐng) — trace; sign | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A literary word for 'trace' or 'sign' of a person or thing, usually in the phrase 没有踪影 ('no trace').

noun

tracesign

Examples

，踪影。
Jǐng chá zhǎo le hěn jiǔ, hái shì méi yǒu fā xiàn tā de zōng yǐng.
The police searched for a long time but still found no trace of him.
踪影。
Zhè zhī lǎo hǔ de zōng yǐng zài sēn lín lǐ xiāo shī le.
The trace of this tiger disappeared into the forest.
，踪影。
Zì cóng nà cì zhēng chǎo hòu, tā jiù méi le zōng yǐng.
Since that quarrel, there has been no trace of him.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

踪 track and 影 trace combine to mean signs.

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

足足zúfoot

Sound part声符shēngfú

宗

宗zōng踪zōng

Same sound today

踪 pairs 足, a foot, with 宗, which gives the sound zōng.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

景彡影

Meaning part形符xíngfú

彡彡shān

Sound part声符shēngfú

景

景jǐng影yǐng

Same sound today

影 pairs 景, which gives the sound and also carries the idea of image, with 彡, the part that points to shadow.

Appears in

Abstract Concepts

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