水灵灵 (shuǐ líng líng) — (of fruits/vegetables) fresh and juicy, crisp-l…

Definition

A vivid, reduplicated adjective meaning 'fresh and dewy' — used for plump produce and for youthful, glowing skin. It is more vivid and descriptive than plain 新鲜.

bound form

(of fruits/vegetables) fresh and juicycrisp-looking(of a person's complexion) radiantglowingfresh and youthful

Examples

水灵灵，。
Zhè ge xī guā shuǐ líng líng de, kàn qǐ lái hěn hǎo chī.
This watermelon looks fresh and juicy — it seems delicious.
水灵灵，。
Tā pí fū shuǐ líng líng de, xiàng gāng xǐ guò liǎn yí yàng.
Her skin is radiant, as if she just washed her face.
水灵灵，。
Cài shì chǎng lǐ de qīng cài shuǐ líng líng de, tè bié xīn xiān.
The greens in the market are crisp and fresh — especially fresh.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

水灵fresh and lively

水shuǐwater灵línglively

偏正Modifier + head

灵línglively

水 and 灵 suggest fresh juice and liveliness, with 灵 repeated for vividness.

Characters in this word

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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 靈; 灵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

霝

霝líng靈líng

Same sound today

This note describes the traditional form 靈, not the simplified 灵: 霝 gives the sound, and 玉 (jade) is the meaning part.

Open 灵 →