独立 (dú lì) — independent (adjective); to stand alone, to be… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

独立 emphasizes freedom from external control (a person, country, or thought). It is broader than 自立 (self-reliant, supporting oneself) and 自主 (making one's own decisions in a specific area).

independent (adjective)to stand aloneto be independent (verb)

Examples

独立。
Tā shì yí gè hěn dú lì de rén.
She is a very independent person.
独立。
Wǒ men yào xué huì dú lì sī kǎo.
We need to learn to think independently.
1949独立。
Zhè ge guó jiā zài 1949 nián dú lì le.
This country became independent in 1949.

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.

独 means alone, 立 means stand, so together they mean to stand alone.

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 獨; 独 is its simplified writing.

犭蜀獨

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犭Written in full as犬quǎn

Sound part声符shēngfú

蜀

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

The traditional form 獨 pairs 犬 (dog) with 蜀, which gives the sound; the simplified 独 is a shorthand.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

立 pictures a person standing on the ground.

Appears in

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