仪式 (yí shì) — ceremony | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A ceremony or formal ritual — more general than 典礼 (a grand, official ceremony) and 庆典 (a celebration). Compare 礼仪, which means the etiquette/courteous behavior itself.

noun

ceremony

Measure word · 个

Examples

仪式。
Tā men wèi lǎo rén jǔ bàn le yì chǎng lóng zhòng de yí shì.
They held a grand ceremony for the elderly person.
仪式。
Bì yè yí shì zài xué xiào lǐ táng jǔ xíng.
The graduation ceremony was held in the school auditorium.
仪式。
Zhèng shì yí shì shàng měi gè rén dōu chuān xī zhuāng.
Everyone wears a suit at a formal ceremony.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

仪yíceremony

式shìform

仪 and 式 both refer to ceremonial form or ritual, so 仪式 means ceremony.

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 儀; 仪 is its simplified writing.

亻義儀

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

義

義yì儀yí

Same sound today

In the traditional form 儀, the left part 亻 shows a person, and the right part 義 supplies the sound. This description is about 儀, not the simplified 仪.

Open 仪 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

弋工式

Meaning part形符xíngfú

工工gōngwork

Sound part声符shēngfú

弋

弋yì式shì

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

式 pairs 工, meaning work, with 弋, which gives the sound.

Open 式 →

Appears in