浪漫主义 (làng màn zhǔ yì) — romanticism (18th–19th century artistic and literary movement); (by extension) romantic idealism or a romanticist style

Definition

Literary and artistic movement in 18th–19th century Europe emphasizing emotion, nature, and individualism. As a countable noun it labels the movement itself; as a modifier (浪漫主义精神) it flags a romantic idealist style.

noun
romanticism (18th–19th century artistic and literary movement)(by extension) romantic idealism or a romanticist style

Examples

  • 浪漫主义
    Shí jiǔ shì jì de ōu zhōu làng màn zhǔ yì yùn dòng yǐng xiǎng le huì huà, yīn yuè hé wén xué.
    The 19th-century European Romanticism movement influenced painting, music, and literature.
  • 浪漫主义
    Tā de zuò pǐn zhōng chōng mǎn le làng màn zhǔ yì sè cǎi.
    His works are full of Romanticist coloring.
  • 浪漫主义
    Zhè zhǒng làng màn zhǔ yì jīng shén zài dāng shí de shī gē lǐ biǎo xiàn dé fēi cháng míng xiǎn.
    This Romanticist spirit was very evident in the poetry of that time.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

浪漫romantic
làngwavemànoverflow
联合Coordinate
主义ism

浪漫 supplies the romantic quality and 主义 names a whole outlook, forming romanticism.

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
liánglàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →

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
Written in full asshuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

漫 uses 氵 (water) and 曼 for the sound; 曼 also means “vast, extended,” showing water spread out or overflowing.

Open 漫 →

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

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

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 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

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

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →

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