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游街 (yóu jiē) — to parade (a criminal) through the streets as public humiliation; to march/demonstrate in the streets

Definition

A verb meaning to march or parade through the streets — historically to publicly humiliate a criminal, today more often for political protest or demonstration.

verb
to parade (a criminal) through the streets as public humiliationto march/demonstrate in the streets

Examples

  • 游街。
    Gǔ dài fàn rén cháng bèi yóu jiē shì zhòng.
    In ancient times, criminals were often paraded through the streets as a public spectacle.
  • ，。
    Tā men zuó tiān yóu le yí cì jiē, yāo qiú jiā xīn.
    They marched through the streets yesterday demanding a pay raise.
  • ，游街。
    Wén gé shí qī, hěn duō zhī shi fèn zǐ bèi yóu jiē pī dòu.
    During the Cultural Revolution, many intellectuals were paraded through the streets and criticized.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

游yóuparade
街jiēstreet

游 gives the sense of parading, and 街 is the street where it happens.

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
斿
斿yóu游yóu
Same sound today

游 combines 水 (water) with 斿, which gives the sound yóu and also relates to travelling.

Open 游 →

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
行行xíng
Sound part声符shēngfú
圭
圭guī街jiē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

街 combines 行 and 圭: 行 is the meaning part, and 圭 is the sound part. Originally, 圭 drew a pair of ritual axes, not earth.

Open 街 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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