扬起 (yáng qǐ) — to lift up, to raise into the air (dust, hair, flags, etc.); to kick up (dust/sand)

Definition

A separable verb meaning to lift or raise into the air (head, dust, flags, morale). Splits in the past tense: 扬起了头 / 扬起了灰尘. Pairs naturally with abstract subjects like 士气, 热情.

verb
to lift upto raise into the air (dust, hair, flags, etc.)to kick up (dust/sand)

Examples

  • ，扬起。
    Yí zhèn fēng chuī guò, yáng qǐ le dì shàng de huī chén.
    A gust of wind blew by, kicking up dust from the ground.
  • 扬起，。
    Tā qīng qīng yáng qǐ tóu, duì zhe jìng zi wēi xiào.
    She gently lifted her head and smiled at the mirror.
  • 扬起。
    Shèng lì de xiāo xi yáng qǐ le dà jiā dī shì qì.
    The news of victory raised everyone's morale.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

扬yángraise
起qǐup

扬 means raise and 起 adds going up, so it lifts dust or flags into the air.

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 揚; 扬 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng揚
Same sound today

The traditional form 揚 uses 手 to show a hand-related action and 昜 to give the sound; the simplified 扬 is a later abbreviation.

Open 扬 →

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
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

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