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共同语言 (gòng tóng yǔ yán) — (noun) common language (shared vocabulary or medium of communication); (noun) common ground, shared interests or understanding

Definition

A literal 'common language' but in modern use it usually means shared interests or values that let people connect — not a linguistic medium. Compare with 共识, which emphasizes agreed-upon views.

noun
common language (shared vocabulary or medium of communication)common ground, shared interests or understanding

Examples

  • 共同语言，。
    Tā men liǎ méi yǒu gòng tóng yǔ yán, hěn nán gōu tōng.
    The two of them have no common language; it's hard to communicate.
  • 共同语言。
    Gòng tóng de ài hào ràng tā men yǒu le gòng tóng yǔ yán.
    Shared hobbies gave them a common language.
  • ，共同语言。
    Zài zhè ge duō yuán wén huà de tuán duì lǐ, dà jiā zhǎo dào le gòng tóng yǔ yán.
    In this multicultural team, everyone found common language.

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.

共同shared
共gòngshared同tóngsame
联合Coordinate
语言language
语yǔspeech言yánwords
联合Coordinate

共同 means shared, and 语言 names the medium of communication.

Characters in this word

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

  • 廾廾gǒngtwo hands
  • 口口kǒuan object

共 shows 廾, two hands, holding up an object. That object was written 口 and later became the 廿-like top.

Open 共 →

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

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

Open 同 →

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 語; 语 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
吾
吾wú語yǔ
Same sound today

The form 語 pairs 言 (speech) with 吾, which gives the sound; this note is about 語, not 语.

Open 语 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →
Appears in
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