身旁 (shēn páng) — one's side (the space next to a person)

Definition

Literary 'by one's side / beside (a person)'. Slightly more elevated than the everyday 旁边, which is the default word for 'beside / next to' any object or place.

noun
one's side (the space next to a person)

Examples

  • 身旁。
    Tā shǐ zhōng zhàn zài wǒ de shēn páng.
    He always stands by my side.
  • 身旁。
    Tā xǐ huan bǎ bāo fàng zài shēn páng.
    She likes to put her bag beside her.
  • 身旁。
    Qǐng zuò zài wǒ de shēn páng.
    Please sit next to me.

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shēnbody
旁pángside

身 (body) and 旁 (side) combine to mean the space next to a person.

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 →

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
同同tóng
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng旁páng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 旁, 方 is the lower part and gives the sound. The upper part is unclear and may have been part of the meaning.

Open 旁 →

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