守夜 (shǒu yè) — to keep watch at night, to stand night watch | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A verb meaning to stay on watch through the night, often guarding a place or people. Note that 夜 here is a noun, not a separable particle — the phrase does not normally split with a 了-insertion in the same way 睡觉 does.

verb

to keep watch at nightto stand night watch

Examples

守夜。
Bǎo ān měi wǎn dōu yào shǒu yè.
The security guard has to keep watch every night.
。
Tā shǒu le yí yè de cāng kù.
He kept watch at the warehouse all night.
守夜，。
Gǔ dài shì bīng lún liú shǒu yè, fáng zhǐ dí rén tōu xí.
Ancient soldiers took turns keeping watch at night to prevent enemy sneak attacks.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

守shǒukeep watch

守夜 joins 守, to keep watch, with 夜, night, to mean keeping watch through the night.

Characters in this word

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

宀寸守

宀宀miánroof; building
寸寸cùnhand

守 pairs 宀, a roof or building, with 寸, a hand, to show a hand guarding a place.

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

夕夕xīmoon

Sound part声符shēngfú

亦

亦yì夜yè

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

The form 夜 pairs 亦 as a sound part with 夕 as a moon part, for night. In the modern shape, the 亦 part is broken up and one stroke merges into 夕.

Appears in

Daily Routine Time of Day

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