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淡忘 (dàn wáng) — to gradually forget, to fade from memory

Definition

A literary/elevated verb meaning memories or details gradually fade over time. Stronger and more written than the everyday 忘 (wàng), which simply means 'to forget'.

verb
to gradually forgetto fade from memory

Examples

  • 淡忘。
    Nà xiē wǎng shì yǐ jīng màn màn dàn wáng le.
    Those past events have gradually faded from memory.
  • ，淡忘。
    Shí jiān jiǔ le, hěn duō xì jié dōu huì dàn wáng.
    As time goes by, many details will fade from memory.
  • 淡忘。
    Tā bù xiǎng dàn wáng zhè duàn zhēn guì de jīng lì.
    He doesn't want to forget this precious experience.

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.

淡dànfaint; gradually
忘wàngforget

淡 names fading or growing faint, and 忘 names forgetting, so together they mean to fade from memory.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
炎
炎yán淡dàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

淡 puts 氵 (water) beside 炎, which gives the sound yán.

Open 淡 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng忘wàng
Same sound today

忘 combines 亡, which gives the sound, with 心 (“heart”), showing the sense is about the heart or mind.

Open 忘 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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