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朝思暮想 (zhāo sī mù xiǎng) — to yearn day and night, to think about constantly

Definition

A literary idiom meaning 'to yearn day and night' — a single, intense longing. Used in writing for love, ideals, or hometown rather than casual longing.

idiom
to yearn day and nightto think about constantly

Examples

  • 朝思暮想，。
    Tā duì jiā xiāng zhāo sī mù xiǎng, zhōng yú jué dìng huí qù kàn kàn.
    He yearned for his hometown day and night and finally decided to go back and visit.
  • 朝思暮想。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le nǚ zhǔ jué zhāo sī mù xiǎng de ài qíng gù shi.
    This novel depicts the heroine's love story that she yearns for day and night.
  • 朝思暮想。
    Tā zhāo sī mù xiǎng de lǐ xiǎng zhōng yú shí xiàn le.
    The ideal he had been yearning for day and night was finally realized.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

朝思think in the morning
朝cháomorning思sīthink
偏正Modifier + head
暮想think in the evening
暮mùevening想xiǎngthink
偏正Modifier + head

朝思 means thinking in the morning and 暮想 means thinking in the evening; together they express constant yearning day and night.

Characters in this word

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

Originally, 朝 showed the sun rising above the ground while the moon was still in the sky, giving the sense of morning.

Open 朝 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
囟
囟xìn思sī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 思, 心 (heart) points to thinking, while the top part is a changed form of 囟, which supplied the sound.

Open 思 →

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rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
莫
莫mò暮mù
Same sound today

暮 adds 日 (sun) to 莫, the older picture of the sun setting. The added 日 marks the time of sunset.

Open 暮 →

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
心心xīnheart, mind
Sound part声符shēngfú
相
相xiāng想xiǎng
Same sound today

想 has 心 (heart, mind) below 相 (to look at); the shape shows the mind looking at or considering something, and 相 also gives the sound.

Open 想 →
Appears in
Emotions & FeelingsIdioms & Set Phrases

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