吱声 (zhī shēng) — to utter a sound; to speak (often used in the n… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A colloquial verb meaning 'to speak up / make a sound', almost always used in the negative or as a command to break silence (别不吱声, 吱一声).

verb

to utter a soundto speak (often used in the negative)

Examples

，吱声。
Tā zuò zài nà r, yí jù huà yě bù zhī shēng.
He sat there without uttering a single word.
，。
Wǒ wèn tā hǎo jǐ biàn, tā lián yī shēng dōu méi zhī.
I asked him several times, but he didn't even make a sound.
，。
Nǐ dǎo shì zhī yī shēng a, bié lǎo chén mò.
Say something, don't just stay silent.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

吱zhīmake a sound

吱 suggests making a sound and 声 is sound, together meaning to utter a sound.

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.

口支吱

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

支

Same sound today

吱 pairs 口 (mouth) with 支, which gives the sound. The mouth part points to noises like a creak or chirp.

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 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

殸耳聲

Meaning part形符xíngfú

耳耳ěrear

Sound part声符shēngfú

殸

殸qìng聲shēng

Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Appears in

Communication & Speech

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