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浩瀚无垠 (hào hàn wú yín) — boundless, vast, limitless (of space, sea, sky, etc.)

Definition

A literary idiom emphasizing an incomparably vast scale — typically the sea, sky, or universe. Use in writing to convey awe-inspiring boundlessness.

idiom
boundlessvastlimitless (of space, sea, sky, etc.)

Examples

  • ，浩瀚无垠，。
    Zhàn zài hǎi biān, wàng zhe hào hàn wú yín de dà hǎi, wǒ gǎn dào zì jǐ fēi cháng miǎo xiǎo.
    Standing by the sea and looking at the boundless ocean, I felt very small.
  • 浩瀚无垠，。
    Yǔ zhòu hào hàn wú yín, rén lèi tàn suǒ de jiǎo bù cóng wèi tíng zhǐ.
    The universe is vast and limitless; humanity's steps of exploration have never stopped.
  • 浩瀚无垠，。
    Shā mò hào hàn wú yín, yì yǎn wàng bú dào jìn tóu.
    The desert is boundless; you can't see the end at a glance.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

浩瀚vast
浩hàovast瀚hànvast
联合Coordinate
无垠without boundary
无wúwithout垠yínboundary
动宾Verb + object

浩瀚 gives vastness, and 无垠 means no boundary, describing immense space.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
告
告gào浩
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape pairs 水, water, with 告, which gives the sound.

Open 浩 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
翰
翰hàn瀚⁰hàn
Same sound today

瀚 combines 氵 (water) with 翰, where 氵 is the picture of water and 翰 gives the sound hàn.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔsoil
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn垠yín
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

垠 combines 土 (soil) with 艮. The 土 part relates to the meaning, and 艮 gives the pronunciation.

Open 垠 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesSize & Dimension

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