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遇害 (yù hài) — be murdered (often in a violent incident, war, or accident)

Definition

遇害 means to be killed in a violent event — murder, attack, war, or major accident. Unlike 被杀 (passive 'be killed'), it carries the sense of being a victim of a notable incident, often in news reporting.

verb
be murdered (often in a violent incident, war, or accident)

Examples

  • 遇害。
    Tā zài nà chǎng kǒng bù xí jī zhōng yù hài.
    He was murdered in that terrorist attack.
  • 。
    Zhè wèi jì zhě zài zhàn luàn dì qū yù le hài.
    This journalist was murdered in the war-torn area.
  • 遇害。
    Jǐng fāng zhèng zài diào chá zhè qǐ yù hài àn jiàn.
    The police are investigating this murder case.

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
害hàiharm

遇害 combines 遇 encounter and 害 harm to mean suffer fatal harm.

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.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丯
丯jiè害hài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

害 was borrowed purely for its sound. Its old picture, possibly a house rafter, is unrelated to harm.

Open 害 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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