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抑郁 (yì yù) — depressed, despondent, gloomy

Definition

抑郁 describes a clinical, persistent state of depression. Heavier than 郁闷 (which is situational frustration) and 忧郁 (which leans poetic/melancholy).

adjective
depresseddespondentgloomy

Examples

  • 抑郁，。
    Tā zuì jìn yì zhí hěn yì yù, xū yào duō xiū xi.
    She has been very depressed lately and needs more rest.
  • 抑郁。
    Zhè zhǒng yì yù de qíng xù hěn nán zì jǐ tiáo jié.
    This kind of depressed mood is hard to adjust on one's own.
  • 抑郁。
    Tā yīn wèi gōng zuò yā lì biàn de hěn yì yù.
    He became very depressed because of work pressure.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

抑yìsuppressed
郁yùgloomy

“抑” (suppressed) and “郁” (gloomy) combine to describe a heavy, downcast mood.

Characters in this word

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

抑 shows a hand pressing down on a kneeling person, giving the sense of press or restrain.

Open 抑 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鬱; 郁 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 鬱 shows 林 (forest), 大 (standing person), and 勹 (leaning person), with people hiding in a lush forest; the simplified 郁 is a later abbreviation.

Open 郁 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Mental Health

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