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拥有 (yōng yǒu) — to possess, to own (formally, of important or abstract things)

Definition

拥有 is a formal verb for possessing important or abstract things (rights, skills, dreams). Stronger and more written than 有; more concrete than the abstract-emphasis 具有.

verb
to possessto own (formally, of important or abstract things)

Examples

  • 拥有。
    Měi gè gōng mín dōu yōng yǒu píng děng de quán lì.
    Every citizen has equal rights.
  • 拥有。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī yōng yǒu xiān jìn de jì shù.
    This company possesses advanced technology.
  • 拥有。
    Wǒ men yīng gāi yōng yǒu zì jǐ de mèng xiǎng.
    We should have our own dreams.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

拥yōnghold, possess
有yǒuhave

Both 拥 and 有 carry the sense of holding or having, so the word expresses formal possession.

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
用
用yòng拥yōng
Same sound today

拥 pairs 扌 (hand) with 用, which gives the sound.

Open 拥 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →
Appears in
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