献身 (xiàn shēn) — to devote oneself (to a cause); to dedicate one's life; to sacrifice one's life (for something)

Definition

献身 (xiàn shēn) means to devote or give one's life to a cause — stronger than just 努力, it implies personal sacrifice. Often used for martyrs, ideals, or science (献身于).

verb
to devote oneself (to a cause)to dedicate one's lifeto sacrifice one's life (for something)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 献身。
    Tā jué dìng xiàn shēn yú kē xué yán jiū.
    He decided to devote himself to scientific research.
  • 。
    Wú shù xiān liè wèi guó jiā xiàn le shēn.
    Countless martyrs gave their lives for the country.
  • ，献身。
    Wèi le lǐ xiǎng, tā yuàn yì xiàn shēn.
    He is willing to sacrifice himself for his ideals.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

献xiànoffer
身shēnbody

献 one's 身 to a cause, giving body or life.

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 獻; 献 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
鬳
鬳yàn獻xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 獻 combines 鬳, which gives the sound, with 犬, a dog. The simplified 献 is a later shorthand.

Open 献 →

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

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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