排遣 (pái qiǎn) — to dispel (loneliness, boredom); to divert ones…

Definition

排遣 means to dispel or distract yourself from negative feelings like loneliness or boredom — usually through an activity such as reading or exercise.

verb

to dispel (loneliness, boredom)to divert oneself from (negative feelings)

排遣。
Tā kào dú shū lái pái qiǎn jì mò.
He relies on reading to dispel loneliness.
排遣。
Zhōu mò qù pá shān kě yǐ pái qiǎn yì zhōu de fán nǎo.
Going hiking on weekends can dispel a week's worries.
排遣。
Tā yǎng le yì zhī māo lái pái qiǎn wú liáo de shí guāng.
She got a cat to divert herself from boring times.

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.

排páidrive away

遣qiǎnsend away

排 and 遣 both carry the sense of driving away, so together they mean dispelling boredom or loneliness.

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.

扌非排

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

非

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

排 uses 扌 (hand) to show arranging something with the hand, and 非 for the sound; this gives the sense of placing things in a line.

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

The old form showed two hands directing an army, meaning to send or dispatch; the modern 遣 adds a walking part.