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来意 (lái yì) — purpose in coming; reason for coming

Definition

A formal noun for the 'purpose of someone's visit' — used to ask or speculate about why a person has come, more literary than everyday expressions like 来干什么.

noun
purpose in comingreason for coming

Examples

  • 来意？
    Qǐng wèn nín de lái yì shì shén me?
    May I ask what your purpose in coming is?
  • 来意。
    Tā de lái yì bú tài qīng chǔ.
    His purpose in coming is not very clear.
  • 来意。
    Wǒ cāi dào le tā de lái yì.
    I guessed his purpose in coming.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

来láicoming
意yìintention

来 (coming) plus 意 (intention) gives the purpose of coming.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 意 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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