殡葬 (bìn zàng) — funeral and burial

Definition

A formal noun for 'funeral and burial' as a combined service or industry. Refers to the full set of practices around death — ceremonies, coffin, cremation or burial — rather than a single event.

noun
funeral and burial

Examples

  • 殡葬。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zhuān mén tí gōng bìn zàng fú wù.
    This company specializes in funeral and burial services.
  • 殡葬。
    Zhōng guó de bìn zàng xí sú yīn dì qū ér yì.
    Chinese funeral and burial customs vary by region.
  • 殡葬。
    Tā men zài tǎo lùn bìn zàng gǎi gé de wèn tí.
    They are discussing issues of funeral and burial reform.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

殡bìnfuneral rites
葬zàngburial

殡 covers funeral rites and 葬 covers burial, together funeral and burial.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 殯; 殡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
歹歹dǎi
Sound part声符shēngfú
賓
賓bīn殯bìn
Same sound today

The traditional form 殯 combines 歹 as the sense part and 賓 as the sound part.

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

  • 茻茻mǎnggrass
  • 死死sǐdead person

In 葬, 死, a dead person, is shown in 茻, grass, to picture burying the dead in grass.

Open 葬 →

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