惨象 (cǎn xiàng) — tragic scene, horrifying sight

Definition

noun
tragic scenehorrifying sight

Examples

  • 惨象，。
    Kàn dào dì zhèn hòu de cǎn xiàng, dà jiā dōu hěn nán guò.
    Seeing the tragic scene after the earthquake, everyone was very sad.
  • 惨象。
    Zhàn zhēng dài lái de cǎn xiàng ràng rén wú fǎ wàng jì.
    The horrifying sight brought by war is unforgettable.
  • 惨象。
    Zhào piàn jì lù le dāng shí de cǎn xiàng.
    The photo recorded the tragic scene at that time.

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.

惨cǎntragic
象xiàngscene

惨 describes a 象 as tragic or horrifying.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 慘; 惨 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
參
參cān慘cǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 慘 puts 心 (heart) with 參 as its sound part. The simplified 惨 is a later shorthand, so its shape is not the historical form.

Open 惨 →

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

象 is drawn as an elephant, with a long trunk, a head, and a big body.

Open 象 →

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