相依 (xiāng yī) — to depend on each other; to be interdependent

Definition

相依 (xiāngyī) is a literary verb meaning two sides depend on each other for survival or emotional support. Often appears in the set phrase 相依为命 ('depend on each other to stay alive').

verb
to depend on each otherto be interdependent

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā men xiāng yī wéi mìng, gòng tóng miàn duì kùn nan.
    They depend on each other for survival, facing difficulties together.
  • ，相依。
    Zài jiān nán de huán jìng zhōng, rén men xū yào xiāng hù xiāng yī.
    In difficult circumstances, people need to rely on each other.
  • 相依，。
    Tā men liǎng rén xiāng yī zài yì qǐ, dù guò le hěn duō měi hǎo de shí guāng.
    The two of them leaned on each other and spent many wonderful times together.

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.

相xiāngmutual
依yīdepend

相 and 依 combine to mean relying on each other.

Characters in this word

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

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

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rénhuman
Sound part声符shēngfú
衣
衣yī依yī
Same sound today

依 is made from 亻, a person, plus 衣, which gives its sound.

Open 依 →

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