白衣天使 (bái yī tiān shǐ) — white-clad angels; a respectful, figurative term for nurses and medical workers

Definition

A respectful, figurative term for nurses and medical workers, literally 'white-clad angels,' common in news and public praise. It is a title of honor, not a neutral job name like 护士.

noun
white-clad angelsa respectful, figurative term for nurses and medical workers

Examples

  • 白衣天使，。
    Tā shì yì míng bái yī tiān shǐ, yǐ jīng gōng zuò shí nián le.
    She is a white-clad angel (nurse) who has been working for ten years.
  • ，白衣天使。
    Yì qíng zhōng, bái yī tiān shǐ men rì yè shǒu hù bìng rén.
    During the pandemic, the white-clad angels (medical workers) guarded the patients day and night.
  • 白衣天使。
    Dà jiā yòng shī gē zàn měi bái yī tiān shǐ de wú sī fèng xiàn.
    People use poems to praise the selfless dedication of the white-clad angels (medical workers).

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.

白衣white clothing
白báiwhite衣yīclothes
偏正Modifier + head
天使heavenly messenger
天tiānheaven使shǐmessenger
偏正Modifier + head

白衣 describes white clothing, while 天使 evokes heavenly messengers, so the phrase pictures nurses as white-clad messengers.

Characters in this word

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

白 is thought to picture either an acorn or a human head.

Open 白 →

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

The shape of 衣 comes from an outline of the chest and upper clothing.

Open 衣 →

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
吏
吏lì使shǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

使 pairs 亻 (person) with 吏, which pictures a hand holding something like a flag, giving the sense of a representative or ambassador.

Open 使 →

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