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先人 (xiān rén) — ancestors, forefathers; my late father (formal, respectful)

Definition

Formal/literary word with two distinct senses: 'ancestors, forefathers' (a generation set), and a respectful 'my late father.' Both senses are used in writing and ceremonial contexts.

noun
ancestorsforefathersmy late father (formal, respectful)

Examples

  • 先人。
    Wǒ men měi nián qīng míng jié dōu huì jì bài xiān rén.
    We worship our ancestors every Qingming Festival.
  • 先人，。
    Zhè shì xiān rén liú gěi wǒ de yí wù, wǒ yì zhí zhēn cáng zhe.
    This is an heirloom left to me by my late father; I have always treasured it.
  • 先人。
    xiān rén De jiào dǎo wǒ men jué bù néng wàng jì.
    We must never forget the teachings of our forefathers.

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.

先xiānearlier
人rénperson

'先' points to earlier generations and '人' to persons, together referring to ancestors.

Characters in this word

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

先 combines 止 (foot) and 儿 (person) to show someone moving forward.

Open 先 →

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
Family & Kinship

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