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气息 (qì xī) — breath (the air from breathing); smell, odor, flavor; (figurative) atmosphere, quality

Definition

A literary word for 'breath' and the 'scent, atmosphere' something gives off — more evocative than the everyday 气味 or 味道, and often used figuratively for a place's mood.

noun
breath (the air from breathing)smellodorflavor(figurative) atmospherequality

Examples

  • 气息。
    Tā hū chū de qì xī zài lěng kōng qì zhōng biàn chéng le bái wù.
    His breath turned into white mist in the cold air.
  • 气息。
    Huā yuán lǐ mí màn zhe huā de qì xī.
    The garden is filled with the scent of flowers.
  • 气息。
    Zhè ge chéng shì chōng mǎn le gǔ lǎo de qì xī.
    This city is full of an ancient atmosphere.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

气qìair, breath
息xībreath

气 'air, breath' and 息 'breath' combine to mean the air one breathes.

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 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 →

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

In 息, 自 is nose and 心 is heart, showing breath or life passing through one's nose.

Open 息 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Body PartsSenses

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