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危险 (wēi xiǎn) — dangerous; danger

Definition

危险 covers both the adjective 'dangerous' and the noun 'danger' — one word for both. 风险 is a more abstract 'risk' (HSK5); 惊险 means 'thrilling and dangerous' for exciting experiences.

dangerousdanger

Examples

  • ，危险。
    Guò mǎ lù de shí hou yào xiǎo xīn, yīn wèi hěn wēi xiǎn.
    Be careful when crossing the street because it's very dangerous.
  • 危险，。
    Zhè ge gōng zuò méi yǒu wēi xiǎn, hěn ān quán.
    This job has no danger; it's very safe.
  • 危险。
    Xī yān duì shēn tǐ hěn wēi xiǎn.
    Smoking is very dangerous to your health.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

危wēidanger
险xiǎnperil

'危' and '险' both refer to peril, together meaning danger or dangerous.

Characters in this word

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

  • 厃厃wěiperson on a cliff or mountain
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

危 is built from 厃, showing a person on a cliff or mountain, and 卩, showing a kneeling person.

Open 危 →

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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