分身术 (fēn shēn shù) — a supernatural ability to create duplicates of oneself (Chinese mythology/fiction)

Definition

A term from Chinese mythology and wuxia fiction: the supernatural power to split one's body into multiple copies of oneself, each acting independently. Used in fantasy contexts, not everyday speech.

noun
a supernatural ability to create duplicates of oneself (Chinese mythology/fiction)

Examples

  • 分身术。
    Sūn wù kōng huì fēn shēn shù.
    Sun Wukong knows the body-dividing technique.
  • 分身术。
    Tā zài xué xí fēn shēn shù.
    He is learning the body-dividing technique.
  • 分身术。
    Tā yòng le fēn shēn shù dǎ bài le dí rén.
    He used the body-dividing technique to defeat the enemy.

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.

分身split body
分fēnsplit身shēnbody
动宾Verb + object
术shùtechnique

分身 means splitting the body, and 术 is a technique, so 分身术 is a technique of creating duplicates.

Characters in this word

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

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

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

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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 術; 术 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet, path
Sound part声符shēngfú
朮
朮zhú術shù
Same sound today

The traditional form 術 has 行 (street, path) beside 朮, which gives the sound; the simplified 术 is a later shorthand.

Open 术 →

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