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悲伤 (bēi shāng) — sad, sorrowful

Definition

A literary/formal word for deep, heavy sadness — stronger than 难过 (everyday 'sad') and more dignified than 伤心 ('heartbroken'). Common in writing and reflective contexts.

adjective
sadsorrowful

Examples

  • ，悲伤。
    Tīng dào zhè ge huài xiāo xi, tā fēi cháng bēi shāng.
    After hearing this bad news, he was very sad.
  • 悲伤。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng de jié jú tài bēi shāng le.
    The ending of this movie is too sad.
  • 悲伤。
    Bié wèi le guò qù de shì ér bēi shāng.
    Don't be sad over past things.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

悲bēisorrowful
伤shānghurt; sorrowful

Both parts carry the idea of sorrow, so together they mean deeply sad.

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; thought; emotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
非
非fēi悲bēi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

悲 pairs 非 as the sound part with 心, the heart/emotion part.

Open 悲 →

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 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥏻
𥏻𥏻傷shāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Open 伤 →
Appears in
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