守寡 (shǒu guǎ) — to remain a widow (not remarry after husband's death)

Definition

守寡 means 'to remain a widow' — to stay unmarried after one's husband has died. A separable verb (离合词): 守了十年寡, not *守寡了十年.

verb
to remain a widow (not remarry after husband's death)

Examples

  • ，守寡。
    Tā zhàng fu qù shì hòu, tā shǒu guǎ le èr shí nián.
    After her husband passed away, she remained a widow for twenty years.
  • ，。
    Tā shǒu le shí nián guǎ, zuì hòu jué dìng zài hūn.
    She stayed a widow for ten years and finally decided to remarry.
  • ，守寡。
    Zài gǔ dài, shǒu guǎ bèi rèn wéi shì yì zhǒng měi dé.
    In ancient times, remaining a widow was considered a virtue.

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
寡guǎwidow

"守" means keep/guard and "寡" means widow, together describing staying in widowhood.

Characters in this word

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

  • 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.

Open 守 →

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

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 頁頁yèhead

The form 寡 pairs 宀, a house, with 頁, a head: one head in a house, alone.

Open 寡 →

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