情事 (qíng shì) — facts, circumstances (esp. in legal or formal contexts)

Definition

Literary/formal noun meaning 'the facts, the circumstances' — almost always in legal, historical, or official writing, not in everyday speech.

noun
factscircumstances (esp. in legal or formal contexts)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 情事，。
    Gēn jù běn àn de qíng shì, fǎ yuàn zuò chū le pàn jué.
    Based on the facts of this case, the court rendered a verdict.
  • 情事。
    Wǒ men xū yào liǎo jiě suǒ yǒu de qíng shì cái néng zuò chū jué dìng.
    We need to understand all the circumstances before we can make a decision.
  • 情事。
    Dāng shí de qíng shì yǐ jīng wú fǎ kǎo zhèng le.
    The facts at that time can no longer be verified.

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.

情qíngcircumstances
事shìmatter

情 and 事 both refer to matters or circumstances, together meaning facts.

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.

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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