相斥 (xiāng chì) — to mutually repel; to repel each other

Definition

verb

to mutually repelto repel each other

相斥。
Cí tiě de tóng yì jí huì xiāng chì.
The same poles of a magnet will repel each other.
相斥，。
Yóu hé shuǐ shì xiāng chì de, bù néng hùn hé.
Oil and water are mutually repulsive and cannot mix.
相斥，。
Tā men liǎng gè de xìng gé wán quán xiāng chì, zài yì qǐ zǒng shì chǎo jià.
Their personalities completely repel each other, and they always argue when together.

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 means mutually and 斥 means repel, so they describe pushing away from each other.

Characters in this word

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

木目相

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

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

广广guǎngbuilding

Sound part声符shēngfú

屰

屰nì斥chì

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An older form paired 广 (building) with 屰 (sound part); 斥 developed from that shape.