远房亲戚 (yuǎn fáng qīn qi) — distant relative

Definition

A blood relative not closely related — e.g., a second cousin or more distant. Distinguish from 亲戚 in general, which covers all relatives including close ones.

noun
distant relative

Examples

  • 远房亲戚。
    Wǒ yǒu yí gè yuǎn fáng qīn qi zhù zài nán fāng.
    I have a distant relative living in the south.
  • 远房亲戚。
    Jīn nián chūn jié wǒ men qù bài fǎng le yí wèi yuǎn fáng qīn qi.
    This Spring Festival we went to visit a distant relative.
  • 远房亲戚，。
    Wǒ jiā de yuǎn fáng qīn qi hěn duō, dàn hěn shǎo jiàn miàn.
    My family has many distant relatives, but we rarely meet.

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.

远房distant branch
远yuǎndistant房fángbranch
偏正Modifier + head
亲戚relatives
亲qīnrelative戚qīrelative
联合Side by side

远房 marks a distant branch of the family, and 亲戚 marks relatives; together they mean a distant relative.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
元
元yuán远yuǎn
Same sound today

远 combines 辶, meaning walk, with 元, used for its sound.

Open 远 →

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
戶戶hùdoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng房fáng
Same sound today

房 pairs 戶 (door) with 方 (fāng) as a sound part; 方 can also fit 'side,' as in a side room beside the main room.

Open 房 →

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 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

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
戊戊wùscythe
Sound part声符shēngfú
尗
尗shū戚qī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 戚 pairs 戊, a scythe-like cutting weapon, with 尗 as a sound hint; it was later borrowed to mean 'relative'.

Open 戚 →

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