() — (bound form) epidemic; plague

Definition

Bound form meaning 'epidemic / plague'; it almost never stands alone — you'll see it in compounds like 疫情 (epidemic situation), 疫苗 (vaccine), 疫病 (epidemic disease).

bound form
epidemicplague

Examples

  • Xiàn zài de yì qíng hěn yán zhòng.
    The current epidemic situation is very serious.
  • Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū xīn de yì miáo.
    Scientists are researching a new vaccine.
  • Zhè zhǒng yì bìng chuán bō dé hěn kuài.
    This epidemic disease spreads very quickly.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
sickness
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

疫 uses 疒 as the sickness marker and 役 to give its sound.

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