恩仇 (ēn chóu) — (literary) gratitude and enmity; the sum of favors and grievances between people

Definition

Literary noun pairing '恩' (kindness received) with '仇' (grievance held) — the running tally of favors and grudges between people. Typical of wuxia fiction and reflective prose, not everyday speech.

noun
(literary) gratitude and enmitythe sum of favors and grievances between people

Examples

  • 恩仇，。
    Jiāng hú shàng de ēn chóu, tā zǎo yǐ kàn dàn.
    He had long let go of the favors and grievances of the martial world.
  • 恩仇。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō jiǎng shù le liǎng gè rén de ēn chóu gù shi.
    This novel tells the story of gratitude and enmity between two people.
  • 恩仇，。
    Tā men zhī jiān de ēn chóu, bú shì yí jù huà néng shuō qīng de.
    The favors and grievances between them can't be explained in one sentence.

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.

恩ēngratitude
仇chóuenmity

“恩” (gratitude) and “仇” (enmity) together name favors and grievances.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
因
因yīn恩ēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

恩 puts 因, which gives the sound, beside 心, a heart.

Open 恩 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
九
九jiǔ仇⁰qiú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

仇 has 亻, a person, and 九, which gives the sound.

Open 仇 →

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