奉承话 (fèng chéng huà) — flattery | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Noun for insincere flattering words, usually spoken (not written). Collocates with 听/说; implies the speaker doesn't mean it.

noun

flattery

奉承话。
Tā tīng le jǐ jù fèng chéng huà jiù bù zhī dào dōng nán xī běi le.
After hearing a few words of flattery, he didn't know which way was up.
奉承话。
Wǒ bù xǐ huan tīng nà xiē xū wěi de fèng chéng huà.
I don't like listening to those hypocritical flattering words.
奉承话，。
Tā zuǐ shàng shuō fèng chéng huà, xīn lǐ qí shí hěn kàn bù qǐ duì fāng.
She verbally offered flattery, but in her heart she actually looked down on the other person.

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.

奉承flatter

联合Side by side

奉承 means flatter and 话 means words, so the word denotes flattering words.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

廾廾gǒngtwo hands

Sound part声符shēngfú

丰

Same sound today

奉 pairs 丰 for the pronunciation with 廾, 'two hands', as the meaning part.

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

承 combines 卩, a kneeling person, and 廾, both hands, to show holding or carrying.

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 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

𠯑

𠯑𠯑話huà

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.