冻死 (dòng sǐ) — to freeze to death | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

verb

to freeze to death

Examples

，冻死。
Dōng tiān tài lěng le, hěn duō rén chà diǎn dòng sǐ.
The winter was so cold that many people almost froze to death.
冻死。
Zhè zhī māo zài dà xuě zhōng dòng sǐ le.
This cat froze to death in the heavy snow.
，冻死。
Rú guǒ méi yǒu nuǎn qì, wǒ men huì bèi dòng sǐ de.
If there were no heating, we would freeze to death.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

Freezing and dying combine to mean die from freezing.

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 凍; 冻 is its simplified writing.

冫東凍

Meaning part形符xíngfú

冫Written in full as仌bīng

Sound part声符shēngfú

東

東dōng凍dòng

Same sound today

The traditional form 凍 pairs 冫 (ice) with 東 for the sound; the simplified 冻 is a later shorthand.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

尸

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

Appears in

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