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同性恋 (tóng xìng liàn) — homosexuality; homosexual (person)

Definition

The formal, neutral term for 'homosexuality' (the orientation) and 'homosexual' (a person). A more clinical written register than colloquial slang like 同志 or gay.

noun
homosexualityhomosexual (person)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 同性恋。
    Tā gōng kāi le zì jǐ de tóng xìng liàn shēn fèn.
    He publicly acknowledged his homosexual identity.
  • 同性恋。
    Shè huì yīng gāi zūn zhòng měi gè rén de tóng xìng liàn qǔ xiàng.
    Society should respect everyone's sexual orientation.
  • 同性恋。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng tàn tǎo le tóng xìng liàn huà tí.
    This film explores the topic of homosexuality.

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.

同性same sex
同tóngsame性xìngsex
偏正Modifier + head
恋liànlove

同性 means same sex, and 恋 adds the idea of love or attachment.

Characters in this word

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

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

Open 同 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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 戀; 恋 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌戀liàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 戀 pairs 心 (heart) with 䜌 as a sound part; 恋 is a later simplified form.

Open 恋 →
Appears in
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