披散 (pī sǎn) — to hang down loosely (said of hair)

Definition

A verb almost exclusively used for hair hanging down loose and untied. Unlike 散 (scattered/dispersed) or 垂 (to hang down, neutral), 披散 implies long hair falling freely over the shoulders.

verb
to hang down loosely (said of hair)

Examples

  • 披散。
    Tā de tóu fa pī sǎn zài jiān shàng.
    Her hair hangs loosely over her shoulders.
  • 披散。
    Fēng bǎ tā de cháng fà chuī dé pī sǎn kāi lái.
    The wind blew her long hair loose.
  • ，披散。
    Tā bù xǐ huan bǎ tóu fa zhā qǐ lái, zǒng shì pī sǎn zhe.
    She doesn't like to tie up her hair; it's always hanging loose.

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.

披pīspread open
散sànloose

Spreading open and loosening combine to describe hair hanging down loosely.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí披pī
Same sound today

披 pairs 扌 (hand) with 皮, which gives the sound.

Open 披 →

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

  • 林林líntrees, forest
  • 攴攴pūto knock, to tap

散 combines 林 (trees or forest) and 攴 (to knock or tap), originally showing knocking to clear vegetation, later extended to breaking up or dispersing.

Open 散 →

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