昂 (áng) — to raise; to hold high (especially the head); (in figurative or compound usage) to soar; to be elevated (e.g., prices, spirit)

Definition

昂 (áng) means to lift or hold the head high; in set phrases like 昂首 and with abstract nouns (士气, 斗志, 价格), it means 'to soar / be elevated'.

verb
to raiseto hold high (especially the head)(in figurative or compound usage) to soarto be elevated (e.g., prices, spirit)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 昂，。
    Tā áng zhe tóu, jiāo ào dì zǒu le guò qù.
    He walked past with his head held high, proudly.
  • ，。
    Tā áng shǒu tǐng xiōng, chōng mǎn zì xìn.
    He raised his head and puffed out his chest, full of confidence.
  • 。
    Gāo áng dī shì qì ràng duì wu shì bù kě dǎng.
    The high morale made the team unstoppable.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
卬
卬áng昂áng
Same sound today

昂 pairs 日 (sun) with 卬, a drawing of a standing man and a kneeling man that gives the sound.

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