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永别 (yǒng bié) — to part forever (often by death)

Definition

Literary/formal 'to part forever', almost always used for death — far heavier than 分手 (a breakup). Use it for the last farewell, not ordinary leaving.

verb
to part forever (often by death)

Examples

  • ，永别。
    Tā men bào zài yì qǐ kū, cóng cǐ yǒng bié.
    They hugged and cried, parting forever from then on.
  • 永别，。
    Zhè cì yǒng bié, shì zuì hòu yí cì jiàn miàn.
    This final parting was the last time they met.
  • ，永别。
    Tā míng bai, zhè yí cì kě néng jiù shì yǒng bié.
    He understood that this time might be a forever farewell.

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.

永yǒngforever
别biépart

永 gives forever, and 别 gives parting, so the sense is parting forever.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 永 was drawn as a long river with side streams, or as a person swimming in water.

Open 永 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 別; 别 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 別 pairs 冎 (bone) with 刀 (knife), showing a knife cutting up bone and flesh. The simplified 别 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 别 →
Appears in
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