骇 (hài) — astonished; shocked (bound form, used in compounds)

Definition

骇 is a bound form, not a standalone word. It means 'shock' or 'terrify' and almost always appears in compounds like 惊骇, 惊涛骇浪, and 骇人听闻.

bound form
astonishedshocked (bound form, used in compounds)

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè ge xiāo xi lìng rén jīng hài.
    This news is shocking.
  • 。
    Hǎi shàng xiān qǐ jīng tāo hài làng.
    Huge waves surged on the sea.
  • 。
    Nà shì yí gè hài rén tīng wén de gù shi.
    That is a horrifying story.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 駭; 骇 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài駭hài
Same sound today

The traditional form 駭 pairs 馬 (horse) with 亥 as a sound part; 骇 is the simplified form.

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