势 (shì) — (bound form) power; influence; force (as in 势力); (bound form) situation; circumstances; configuration (as in 局势, 形势); (bound form) gesture; posture; appearance (as in 手势, 姿势)
Definition
A bound morpheme meaning 'force, power, or trend,' appearing mostly in compounds like 势力 (influence), 局势 (situation), and 趋势 (tendency). It is not used as a standalone word.
bound form
powerinfluenceforce (as in 势力)situationcircumstancesconfiguration (as in 局势, 形势)gesturepostureappearance (as in 手势, 姿势)
Easily confused
- 蛰zhélook-alike(bound form) to hibernate; to be in a dormant state
- 是shìsound-aliketo be (linking verb, followed by a noun or noun phrase)
- 垫diànlook-alike(verb) to pad, to put something under
- 事shìsound-alikething; matter; affair
- 挚zhìlook-alikesincere, genuine; close (used in compounds)
- 试shìsound-aliketo try; to test
Examples
- 。Zhè jiā gōng sī de shì lì hěn dà.The influence of this company is very strong.
- 。Wǒ men yào guān zhù jīng jì fā zhǎn de qū shì.We need to pay attention to the trend of economic development.
- 。Lǎo shī zuò le yí gè shì fàn de shǒu shì.The teacher made a demonstrative hand gesture.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 勢; 势 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì勢shì
Same sound today
The traditional form 勢 combines 力, meaning power, with 埶 for the sound. The simplified 势 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.
Appears in
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