遗志 (yí zhì) — unfulfilled wish or behest of a deceased person

Definition

遗志 (yízhì, not yízhī) is the noun 'unfulfilled wish of the deceased' — almost always used with verbs like 完成, 实现, or 继承, not as a standalone object of possession.

noun
unfulfilled wish or behest of a deceased person
Easily confused

Examples

  • 遗志，。
    Tā lín zhōng qián liú xià de yí zhì, wǒ men yí dìng yào nǔ lì shí xiàn.
    The behest he left on his deathbed, we must strive to fulfill.
  • 遗志，。
    Jì chéng xiān bèi de yí zhì, shì wǒ men de zé rèn.
    Inheriting the behest of our predecessors is our responsibility.
  • 遗志。
    Tā men jué xīn wán chéng liè shì de yí zhì.
    They are determined to fulfill the martyrs' behest.

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.

遗yíleft behind
志zhìwill

遗 means left behind, and 志 means will; the word names a wish left by someone who has died.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 遺; 遗 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòmove
Sound part声符shēngfú
貴
貴guì遺yí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 遺 pairs 辶 (move) with 貴 as a sound part; the simplified 遗 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 遗 →

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
心心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī志zhì
Same sound today

志 has 心, the heart, below and a simplified top from 之 for sound.

Open 志 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.