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遇刺 (yù cī) — to be assassinated

Definition

A formal verb for being assassinated in a political or public attack. 比 刺杀 (shācì) is the act of assassinating from the attacker's side; 遇刺 is the perspective of the victim.

verb
to be assassinated

Examples

  • 遇刺。
    Nà wèi zǒng tǒng zài yǎn jiǎng shí yù cī le.
    That president was assassinated during a speech.
  • ，。
    Tā céng jīng yù guò liǎng cì cì, dàn dōu xìng yùn dì huó le xià lái.
    He has been attacked twice before, but both times he luckily survived.
  • 遇刺。
    Lì shǐ shàng yǒu duō wèi zhòng yào rén wù yù cī shēn wáng.
    Many important figures in history have been assassinated.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

遇yùencounter
刺cìstab/assassinate

遇 means to meet or come upon, and 刺 gives the stabbing that is encountered, so one comes upon a stabbing.

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chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
禺
禺yú遇yù
Same sound today

遇 combines 辶, a walking-related part, with 禺, which gives the sound. The 辶 part shows that the meaning involves walking or moving.

Open 遇 →

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
刂Written in full as刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
朿
朿cì刺cì
Same sound today

刺 pairs 刂 (knife) with 朿, which gives the sound; the knife part fits actions like stabbing or pricking.

Open 刺 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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