泳 (yǒng) — swim (bound form)
Definition
泳 is a bound form meaning 'swim', almost always paired with another morpheme in compounds like 游泳, 泳池, or 泳姿. Standalone usage is rare; in everyday speech use the full word 游泳 instead.
bound form
swim (bound form)
Easily confused
- 咏yǒnglook-alike(bound form) to chant, to recite poetically
- 永yǒngsound-alikeforever, perpetually (formal/literary; used before a monosyllabic verb)
- 勇yǒngsound-alikebrave, courageous (bound form, used in compounds like 勇敢, 勇气)
- 涌yǒngsound-aliketo surge, to gush, to well up
- 蛹yǒngsound-alikepupa
- 俑yǒngsound-aliketomb figurine (bound form, used in compounds)
Examples
- 。Tā měi tiān xià wǔ qù yǒng chí.He goes to the swimming pool every afternoon.
- 泳。Tā de yǒng zī fēi cháng yōu měi.Her swimming stroke is very graceful.
- 泳。Dōng tiān hěn duō rén xǐ huan dōng yǒng.Many people enjoy winter swimming in the cold.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
泳 pairs 氵 (water) with 永, which gives the sound. The water part fits the meaning of swimming.
Appears in
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