瑞 (ruì) — (bound form) auspicious (used in literary compounds)
Definition
瑞 (ruì) is a bound, literary form meaning 'auspicious' — it never stands alone and appears mainly in fixed compounds like 瑞雪, 瑞兽, and 瑞气.
bound form
auspicious (used in literary compounds)
Examples
- 。Zhè chǎng ruì xuě yù zhào zhe fēng shōu de yì nián.This timely snow heralds a bountiful year.
- 瑞。Gǔ jiàn zhù shàng cháng yǒu ruì shòu de shí diāo.Ancient buildings often have stone carvings of auspicious beasts.
- ，瑞。Miào lǐ xiāng yān liáo rào, chōng mǎn ruì qì.Incense smoke curled up in the temple, filling it with an auspicious aura.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
耑
耑zhuān瑞ruì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
瑞 pairs 玉, meaning jade, with 耑, which gives its sound.
Appears in
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