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亲朋 (qīn péng) — relatives and friends

Definition

A fixed compound noun meaning 'relatives and friends' as a single social group — close kin and close friends together, not just acquaintances. Almost always used in formal/written contexts (e.g. 亲朋好友, 亲朋之情).

noun
relatives and friends

Examples

  • ，亲朋。
    Zhè cì huí xiāng, qīn péng men dōu hěn rè qíng dì zhāo dài le wǒ.
    All the relatives and friends warmly hosted me on this trip back to my hometown.
  • ，亲朋。
    Tā shì yè yǒu chéng, què hěn shǎo yǔ qīn péng lián xì.
    He is successful in his career, but rarely keeps in touch with relatives and friends.
  • ，亲朋。
    Wú lùn fù guì hái shì pín jiàn, qīn péng zhī qíng zuì wéi zhēn guì.
    No matter rich or poor, the bond with relatives and friends is the most precious.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

亲qīnrelatives
朋péngfriends

亲朋 brings together 亲 for relatives and 朋 for friends.

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 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

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

The old form of 朋 showed two strings of cowries side by side; the modern double shape came from this picture.

Open 朋 →
Appears in
Family & KinshipFriends & Social

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