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有分寸 (yǒu fēn cùn) — to have a sense of propriety; to know one's limits in speech and action

Definition

A fixed phrase: knowing the right limits in speech and behavior — saying/doing things appropriate to the situation.

verb
to have a sense of proprietyto know one's limits in speech and action

Examples

  • 有分寸。
    Tā shuō huà hěn yǒu yǒu fēn cùn.
    He speaks with a sense of propriety.
  • 。
    Tā zuò shì yǒu yì diǎn fēn cùn.
    He has a bit of tact in doing things.
  • ，有分寸。
    Zài zhèng shì chǎng hé, nǐ yào yǒu yǒu fēn cùn.
    In formal settings, you need to have a sense of propriety.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

有yǒuhave
分寸limits
分fēnlength unit寸cùnlength unit
联合Coordinate

Having 分寸, tiny length units, gives the sense of knowing limits.

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
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 →

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

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

寸 has two unrelated original forms: a line on the hand and an abbreviated form of another character. It was borrowed for its sound, so the picture is unrelated to the modern meaning.

Open 寸 →
Appears in
Personality & Traits

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