灵柩 (líng jiù) — coffin (with a corpse); bier

Definition

noun

coffin (with a corpse)bier

Measure word · 口

灵柩。
Tā de líng jiù bèi huǎn huǎn tái jìn le líng táng.
His coffin was slowly carried into the funeral hall.
灵柩，。
Qīn yǒu men wéi zhe líng jiù, mò mò liú lèi.
Relatives and friends surrounded the coffin, silently weeping.
，灵柩。
Zàng lǐ shàng, líng jiù shàng fù gài zhe xiān huā.
At the funeral, the coffin was covered with flowers.

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.

柩jiùcoffin

灵 refers to the spirit of the deceased and 柩 is a coffin, yielding a coffin holding a corpse.

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 靈; 灵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

霝

霝líng靈líng

Same sound today

This note describes the traditional form 靈, not the simplified 灵: 霝 gives the sound, and 玉 (jade) is the meaning part.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.