寻短见 (xún duǎn jiàn) — to commit suicide (euphemistic expression)

Definition

寻短见 (xún duǎnjiàn) is a euphemistic verb meaning 'to commit suicide.' It can split as 寻…短见 (e.g. 寻了短见) — don't confuse with the bare verb 寻 ('to look for').

verb
to commit suicide (euphemistic expression)

Examples

  • 寻短见。
    Tā yīn wèi zhài wù wèn tí xún duǎn jiàn le.
    He committed suicide because of debt problems.
  • 寻短见。
    Hěn duō rén zài jué wàng shí kě néng huì xiǎng dào xún duǎn jiàn.
    Many people might think of suicide when in despair.
  • ，。
    Tā zuì zhōng xún le duǎn jiàn, jiā rén fēi cháng bēi tòng.
    He ended up committing suicide, and his family was devastated.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

寻xúnseek
短见short view
短duǎnshort见jiànview
偏正Modifier + head

寻 means seek and 短见 literally a short view, used euphemistically for ending one's life.

Characters in this word

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

寻 is formed from 又 (hand) and 寸 (hand).

Open 寻 →

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
矢矢shǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu短duǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

短 is built from 矢 and 豆. 豆 is used for its sound, while 矢 is the component linked to the meaning.

Open 短 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 見; 见 is its simplified writing.

  • 目目mùeye
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The traditional form 見 pairs 目 (eye) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a kneeling figure with a large eye for a head. The simplified 见 is a later shorthand.

Open 见 →

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