慈悲 (cí bēi) — (noun) compassion (especially in Buddhism); mer…

Definition

A Buddhist-flavored noun for deep, all-encompassing compassion toward suffering beings. Stronger and more spiritual than everyday 同情 ('sympathy').

noun

compassion (especially in Buddhism)mercybenevolence

慈悲。
Fó jiào qiáng diào duì zhòng shēng yào yǒu cí bēi zhī xīn.
Buddhism emphasizes having a heart of compassion for all beings.
慈悲，。
Tā xīn huái cí bēi, bāng zhù le hěn duō qióng rén.
He harbors compassion in his heart and has helped many poor people.
，慈悲。
Miàn duì kǔ nàn, tā liú lù chū fā zì nèi xīn de cí bēi.
Faced with suffering, she showed compassion from the bottom of her heart.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

慈cíkindness

悲bēicompassion

慈 'kindness' and 悲 'compassion' join to mean mercy or benevolence.

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

茲

茲zī慈cí

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

慈 has 心 (heart) below 茲, which gives its sound; the heart shows the character relates to feelings such as kindness and love.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

非心悲

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart; thought; emotion

Sound part声符shēngfú

非

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.

Appears in