姻 (yīn) — (bound form) marriage; related by marriage
Definition
姻 is a bound morpheme meaning 'marriage' or 'related by marriage' — it never stands alone, always attached to a partner word like 姻亲 or 婚姻.
bound form
marriagerelated by marriage
Easily confused
- 烟yānlook-alikecigarette or pipe tobacco
- 因yīnsound-alike(preposition) because of, due to
- 咽yànlook-aliketo swallow
- 音yīnsound-alikesound, tone (especially musical or acoustic quality)
- 阴yīnsound-alike(of weather) overcast, cloudy
- 茵yīnsound-alike(bound form) mattress; (fig.) carpet of grass (used in literary phrases)
Examples
- 。Tā men de hūn yīn hěn xìng fú.Their marriage is very happy.
- 。Tā men liǎng jiā shì yīn qīn.The two families are related by marriage.
- 。Zhè cì lián yīn jiā qiáng le liǎng guó de guān xì.This marriage alliance strengthened the relationship between the two countries.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
姻 combines 女, meaning woman, with 因, which gives the sound; the reference links the whole shape to a marriage involving a woman.
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