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不朽 (bù xiǔ) — immortal; everlasting; eternal (of fame, spirit, or works)

Definition

Used for fame, spirit, or works that last forever — not for living beings (use 永生 for that). A formal, written word common in literary or commemorative contexts.

verb
immortaleverlastingeternal (of fame, spirit, or works)

Examples

  • 不朽。
    Tā de jīng shén yǒng bú bù xiǔ.
    His spirit will never die.
  • 不朽。
    Zhè shì yí bù bù xiǔ de wén xué zuò pǐn.
    This is an immortal literary work.
  • 不朽。
    Yīng xióng de shì jì bù xiǔ.
    The hero's deeds are immortal.

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.

不bùnot
朽xiǔdecay

不 “not” and 朽 “decay” give the sense of never decaying, hence immortal.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo朽xiǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

朽 pairs 木, a tree/wood, with 丂, which gives the sound. The 木 part connects it to wood.

Open 朽 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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