婴 (yīng) — infant (bound form, used in compounds)
Definition
A bound (书面) form meaning 'baby / infant' that only appears inside compounds like 婴儿 and 婴幼儿 — it is never used as a standalone word.
bound form
infant (bound form, used in compounds)
Easily confused
- 嘤yīnglook-alike(onomatopoeia) chirping of birds
- 英yīngsound-alike(bound form) hero; outstanding talent
- 樱yīnglook-alike(bound form) cherry (blossom or fruit)
- 鹰yīngsound-alikeeagle; hawk; falcon
- 莺yīngsound-alike(bound form) oriole; warbler (a type of songbird)
- 膺yīngsound-alike(bound form) to bear, to receive (e.g., 膺命, 膺选)
Examples
- 。Zhè ge yīng ér hěn jiàn kāng.This baby is very healthy.
- 。Tā zài yì jiā yīng ér yòng pǐn diàn gōng zuò.She works at a baby products store.
- 婴。Zhèng fǔ tuī chū le xīn de yīng yòu ér bǎo jiàn zhèng cè.The government has introduced new health policies for infants and young children.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 嬰; 婴 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèi
Sound part声符shēngfú
癭
癭yǐng嬰yīng
Same sound today
The traditional form 嬰 pairs 貝, carrying the meaning, with 癭 for the sound; the simplified 婴 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.
Appears in
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