身受 (shēn shòu) — to experience personally; to suffer (something) directly

Definition

身受 means to experience or suffer something directly and personally (often hardship, harm, or pain). It usually appears in set phrases like 感同身受 ('I feel it as if I'd lived through it myself') and stresses firsthand bodily or emotional impact.

verb
to experience personallyto suffer (something) directly
Easily confused

Examples

  • 身受，。
    Tā zài zhè chǎng shì gù zhōng shēn shòu zhòng shāng, dàn xìng yùn dì huó le xià lái.
    He was seriously injured in this accident, but fortunately survived.
  • ，。
    Suī rán wǒ méi yǒu xiāng tóng de jīng lì, dàn nǐ de tòng kǔ wǒ néng gǎn tóng shēn shòu.
    Although I haven't had the same experience, I can fully empathize with your pain.
  • 身受，。
    Tā shēn shòu le duō nián de qí shì, cái míng bai píng děng yǒu duō zhòng yào.
    He experienced years of discrimination before he understood how important equality is.

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.

身shēnpersonally
受shòureceive

The meaning combines 身, one's own person, with 受, to receive or endure.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

受 possibly combines 爪 and 又 as hands with 舟 as a boat, to show handing something over.

Open 受 →

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