情丝 (qíng sī) — lingering affection; (lit.) threads of emotion

Definition

Literary word for 'lingering affection' — an image of emotion as fine threads binding the heart. Strongly tied to love and nostalgia in writing, not everyday speech.

noun
lingering affection(lit.) threads of emotion
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 情丝。
    Tā de xīn zhōng chōng mǎn le duì gù xiāng de qíng sī.
    Her heart is full of lingering affection for her hometown.
  • 情丝。
    Zhè shǒu shī biǎo dá le shī rén duì ài ren de qíng sī.
    This poem expresses the poet's deep affection for his beloved.
  • 情丝。
    Tā men zhī jiān de qíng sī nán yǐ gē shě.
    The lingering feelings between them are hard to give up.

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.

情qíngemotion
丝sīthread

情 names feeling and 丝 names threads, giving the image of threads of emotion.

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
青
青qīng情qíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絲; 丝 is its simplified writing.

  • 糸糸mì
  • 糸糸mì

In the traditional form 絲, the shape is two 糸 written together; this is about 絲, not the simplified 丝.

Open 丝 →

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