淋漓 (lín lí) — dripping wet; thorough, vivid, uninhibited (of writing, speech, performance)

Definition

淋漓 is almost always used as part of a set phrase (大汗淋漓, 痛快淋漓, 淋漓尽致) rather than standing alone — it intensifies the verb it follows, meaning 'completely' or 'vividly'.

verb
dripping wetthoroughvividuninhibited (of writing, speech, performance)

Examples

  • 。
    Tā pǎo dé dà hàn lín lí.
    He ran so much he was dripping with sweat.
  • 。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng bǎ rén wù de xīn lǐ miáo xiě dé lín lí jìn zhì.
    This article describes the character's psychology thoroughly and vividly.
  • 淋漓，。
    Tā de yǎn jiǎng tòng kuài lín lí, yíng dé le rè liè de zhǎng shēng.
    His speech was uninhibited and exhilarating, winning warm applause.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
联绵liánmiánBound pair

Two characters that only ever appear together, spelling one ancient two-syllable word.

淋lín
漓lí

The characters 淋 and 漓 do not carry separate meanings here; together they evoke a dripping wet, vivid, uninhibited quality.

Sound-only characters

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
林
林lín淋lín
Same sound today

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 林 gives the character's sound.

Open 淋 →

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
离
离lí漓
Same sound today

漓 combines 水 (water) with 离, which gives the sound lí.

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