遗恨 (yí hèn) — eternal regret; lifelong remorse

Definition

A formal, literary noun for a lasting regret that stays with you for life — stronger and more permanent than 后悔, which is everyday 'regret' about a specific action.

noun
eternal regretlifelong remorse

Examples

  • ，遗恨。
    Duì yú nà cì shī bài, tā shǐ zhōng huái yǒu shēn shēn de yí hèn.
    For that failure, he always harbored a deep eternal regret.
  • 遗恨。
    Zhè ge jué dìng chéng le tā yì shēng zhōng zuì dà de yí hèn.
    This decision became the greatest eternal regret of his life.
  • 遗恨。
    Shī rén zài zuò pǐn zhōng biǎo dá le duì gù tǔ de yí hèn.
    The poet expressed an eternal regret for his homeland in his works.

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yíremaining
恨hènregret

The 遗 idea of remaining gives 恨 a sense of lasting regret.

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart; thought; emotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn恨hèn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 忄 is the heart, pointing to an emotion such as regret or hate. The right side 艮 supplies the sound.

Open 恨 →

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