事情 (shì qing) — matter, thing, affair | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

事情 means a 'thing' or 'matter' — a specific event, issue, or task. It is more concrete than the abstract 情况 ('situation'), and more specific than the bare 事 when you mean a particular affair or job.

noun

matterthingaffair

Measure word · 件, 桩

Examples

事情。
Wǒ yǒu yí jiàn hǎo de shì qing yào gào sù nǐ.
I have a good thing to tell you.
事情？
Zhè shì shén me shì qing?
What is this matter?
事情，。
shì qing Hěn duō, wǒ hěn máng.
There are many things to do; I'm very busy.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

情qíngcircumstance

事情 joins 事 (matter) and 情 (circumstance) to mean an affair.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

又又yòuhand
中中zhōnga flagpole with a drum

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

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xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

青

青qīng情qíng

Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 2 500 Most Frequent Chinese Words HSK 2.0 Level 2 1000 Most Frequent Chinese Words Abstract Concepts 2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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