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冒险 (mào xiǎn) — to take risks; to venture

Definition

冒险 means to take a risk or do something dangerous for a chance of reward. It focuses on the risk itself, unlike 探险, which is about exploring unknown places.

verb
to take risksto venture

Examples

  • 。
    Tā mào le hěn dà de xiǎn cái chéng gōng.
    He took a great risk to succeed.
  • 冒险。
    Nǐ zhè yàng zuò tài mào xiǎn le.
    You're taking too big a risk doing this.
  • 冒险。
    Tā men jué dìng mào xiǎn qù pá nà zuò shān.
    They decided to risk climbing that mountain.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

冒màoto brave
险xiǎndanger

冒险 pairs 冒, to brave, with 险, danger, to mean taking a risk.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
目目mùeyes
Sound part声符shēngfú
冃
冃mào冒mào
Same sound today

冒 was built from 冃, a hat used for the sound, plus 目, eyes, as the meaning part.

Open 冒 →

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 險; 险 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān險
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 險 pairs 阝, written in full as 阜, with 僉, which gives the sound; the simplified 险 is a shorthand.

Open 险 →
Appears in
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