潜意识 (qián yì shí) — subconscious (mind), subconsciousness | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

The layer of the mind below conscious awareness, holding hidden memories, drives, and feelings that shape behavior. Often translated 'subconscious' — sometimes distinguished from 无意识 (truly unconscious) in Freudian theory.

noun

subconscious (mind)subconsciousness

Examples

潜意识。
Tā de qián yì shí lǐ cáng zhe hěn duō tóng nián de jì yì.
His subconscious holds many childhood memories.
，潜意识。
Hěn duō xīn lǐ xué jiā rèn wéi, qián yì shí huì yǐng xiǎng rén de xíng wéi.
Many psychologists believe that the subconscious affects people's behavior.
，潜意识。
Tōng guò cuī mián, nǐ kě yǐ jìn rù zì jǐ de qián yì shí.
Through hypnosis, you can enter your own subconscious.

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.

意识consciousness

意yìthought识shíknowledge

联合Coordinate

潜 'hidden' added to 意 'thought' and 识 'knowledge' forms the hidden consciousness.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 潛; 潜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

朁

朁cǎn潛qián

Same sound today

The form 潛 has 水 as a meaning part and 朁 as a sound part; this note is about 潛, not the simplified 潜.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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 識; 识 is its simplified writing.

言戠識

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

戠

戠zhí識zhì

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 識 pairs 言 (say) with 戠 as a sound part; the simplified 识 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Appears in

Thinking & Cognition

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