痛惜 (tòng xī) — to deeply regret, to deplore (especially the loss or misfortune of something or someone)

Definition

A formal, written verb meaning 'to deeply regret / deplore' — a loss, damage, or missed chance. Stronger and more literary than the everyday 后悔.

verb
to deeply regretto deplore (especially the loss or misfortune of something or someone)

Examples

  • 痛惜。
    Tā tòng xī shī qù le zuì hǎo de péng you.
    He deeply regretted losing his best friend.
  • 痛惜。
    Dà jiā duì wén wù de sǔn huài gǎn dào tòng xī.
    Everyone felt deep regret over the damage to the cultural relics.
  • 痛惜。
    Tā tòng xī nà yí cì méi yǒu hǎo hǎo zhēn xī jī huì.
    She deeply regrets not having cherished that opportunity well.

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.

痛tòngbitterly
惜xīregret

痛 conveys the intensity of the regret expressed by 惜.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
昔
昔xī惜⁰xī
Same sound today

惜 has 忄, the heart, and 昔, which gives the sound. 昔 also points to the past or an ending, so the feeling is about something past.

Open 惜 →

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