得意门生 (dé yì mén shēng) — favorite pupil (of a master or mentor)

Definition

A 'favorite pupil' prized by a master or mentor — implies a close mentor-student bond, not just high grades. Written/formal register, more literary than 徒弟.

noun
favorite pupil (of a master or mentor)

Examples

  • 得意门生。
    Zhè wèi jiào shòu zuì téng ài de dé yì mén shēng yǐ jīng bì yè le.
    This professor's most beloved favorite pupil has already graduated.
  • ，得意门生，。
    Lǎo shī cháng shuō, dé yì mén shēng bù jǐn yào cōng ming, gèng yào qín fèn.
    The teacher often says that a favorite pupil must not only be smart but also diligent.
  • 得意门生，。
    Tā zuò wéi lǐ xiān sheng de dé yì mén shēng, jì chéng le shī fu de quán bù jì yì.
    As Mr. Li's favorite pupil, he inherited all of his master's skills.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

得意pleased
得déobtain意yìsatisfaction
动宾Verb + object
门生pupil
门méndoor生shēngstudent
偏正Modifier + head

得意 means pleased and 门生 means pupil, together a favored student.

Characters in this word

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

The old form 㝵 showed a hand picking up a cowry, meaning to obtain; later changes turned that picture into 得.

Open 得 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 意 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 門; 门 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 門 pictures a gate as two door shapes side by side; the simplified 门 is a later shorthand.

Open 门 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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