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服气 (fú qì) — to be convinced; to accept (a viewpoint)

Definition

服气 (fúqì) means 'to be convinced / won over' — focuses on admitting the other side is right after resistance, unlike 相信 which simply means to believe.

verb
to be convincedto accept (a viewpoint)

Examples

  • 。
    Tā duì zhè ge jié guǒ hěn bù fú qì.
    He is not convinced about this result.
  • ，服气。
    Suī rán shū le bǐ sài, dàn tā duì duì shǒu de biǎo xiàn hěn fú qì.
    Although he lost the match, he was very convinced by the opponent's performance.
  • ，服气。
    Wǒ shuō le nà me duō, tā zhōng yú fú qì le.
    I said so much, and finally he became convinced.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

服fúaccept; submit
气qìbreath; vital air

服 means to accept or submit, and 气 refers to breath or vital air; the word idiomatically means to be convinced.

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
凡凡fántray
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬝
𠬝𠬝服fú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Open 服 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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