伤神 (shāng shén) — to be mentally taxing, to be nerve-racking; to be sad, to be disheartened

Definition

Used for things that drain mental energy (tasks, overthinking) OR feelings that weigh heavily on the heart. Context — a difficult task or sad news — disambiguates which sense applies.

verb
to be mentally taxingto be nerve-rackingto be sadto be disheartened

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè jiàn shì ràng wǒ shāng le bù shǎo shén.
    This matter took quite a lot of mental energy out of me.
  • 伤神，。
    Bié zài wéi zhè xiē xiǎo shì shāng shén le, bù zhí dé.
    Don't tire yourself out over these small things anymore; it's not worth it.
  • ，伤神，。
    Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā shí fēn shāng shén, zhěng yè méi shuì.
    Hearing this news, he was deeply saddened and didn't sleep all night.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

伤shāngharm
神shénspirit

The idea of 伤 harm with 神 spirit gives a sense of mental strain or sadness.

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 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥏻
𥏻𥏻傷shāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Open 伤 →

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
示示shìgod; deity
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn神shén
Same sound today

The older form 申 drew lightning, which the ancients regarded as divine; 神 adds 示 (god/deity) to mark that meaning.

Open 神 →

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