形势 (xíng shì) — (noun) situation, circumstances; (noun) terrain, strategic lay of the land

Definition

形势 covers both 'situation' (esp. political/military) and 'terrain'. 情形 and 情景 mean 'situation' only and stay neutral; 地形 is strictly physical terrain.

noun
situationcircumstancesterrainstrategic lay of the land
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 形势。
    Mù qián de xíng shì duì wǒ men hěn yǒu lì.
    The current situation is very favorable for us.
  • 形势。
    Jūn duì zǐ xì yán jiū le dāng dì de xíng shì.
    The army carefully studied the local terrain.
  • 形势。
    Tā fēn xī le guó jì xíng shì.
    He analyzed the international situation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

形xíngshape
势shìmomentum

形 (shape) and 势 (momentum) combine to mean situation or terrain.

Characters in this word

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
井
井jǐng形xíng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

形 is made from 彡 and 井, with 井 providing the sound.

Open 形 →

Most 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 勢; 势 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìpower
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì勢shì
Same sound today

The traditional form 勢 combines 力, meaning power, with 埶 for the sound. The simplified 势 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 势 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Abstract Concepts

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