奸情 (jiān qíng) — adultery (illicit sexual relationship)

Definition

noun
adultery (illicit sexual relationship)

Examples

  • 奸情
    Zhè qǐ lí hūn àn shè jí jiān qíng, fǎ yuàn zuì zhōng pàn jué le péi cháng.
    This divorce case involved adultery, and the court ultimately awarded compensation.
  • 奸情
    Tā ǒu rán fā xiàn le qī zi yǔ lín jū de jiān qíng, gǎn dào shí fēn zhèn jīng.
    He accidentally discovered his wife's adultery with the neighbor and was extremely shocked.
  • 奸情
    Zài gǔ dài, jiān qíng wǎng wǎng huì dǎo zhì yán zhòng de jiā zú chōng tū.
    In ancient times, adultery often led to serious family conflicts.

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.

jiānadulterous
qíngaffair

An 情 that is 奸 in nature: a secretive affair marked by sexual misconduct.

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

奸 is written with 女 (woman) on the left and 干 on the right; the evidence says 干 gives the sound and 女 marks the meaning.

Open 奸 →

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
xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
qīngqíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →

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