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疑云 (yí yún) — suspicions, misgivings (lit. 'cloud of doubt')

Definition

Literary term for lingering suspicions or doubt surrounding a person or event (lit. 'cloud of doubt'). Used in writing, journalism, and formal speech — not everyday conversation.

noun
suspicionsmisgivings (lit. 'cloud of doubt')

Examples

  • 疑云。
    Tā xīn zhōng de yí yún yì zhí wú fǎ xiāo sàn.
    The cloud of doubt in his heart never dissipated.
  • 疑云。
    Zhè cì shì jiàn ràng gōng sī lǒng zhào zài yī céng yí yún zhī zhōng.
    This incident enveloped the company in a layer of suspicion.
  • ，疑云。
    Miàn duì tā de jiě shì, dà jiā réng yǒu yí yún.
    Despite his explanation, everyone still had misgivings.

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.

疑yídoubt
云yúncloud

疑 names the feeling and 云 names the cloud, making doubt pictured as a cloud.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 大大dàstanding human figure
  • 夂夂zhǐtilted head with open mouth
  • 丨丨gǔncane

疑 depicts a standing figure 大 with a tilted, open-mouthed head 夂 and a cane 丨, a confused person looking around for direction.

Open 疑 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 雲; 云 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 雲 is 雨 (rain) plus 云; 云 was the original writing for 'cloud', and 雨 was added to separate it from the borrowed sense 'to say'.

Open 云 →
Appears in
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