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纵情 (zòng qíng) — to one's heart's content; freely and without restraint; to indulge (oneself) in (often with negative connotation)

Definition

Written/formal adverb meaning 'to one's heart's content,' often paired with verbs like 大笑, 歌舞, or 享乐. Note the negative connotation when used with 于 ('indulge in'): implies giving in to desire beyond reason.

adverb
to one's heart's contentfreely and without restraintto indulge (oneself) in (often with negative connotation)

Examples

  • 纵情，。
    Tā zòng qíng dì dà xiào qǐ lái, fǎng fú wàng jì le suǒ yǒu fán nǎo.
    He laughed heartily, as if forgetting all his worries.
  • 纵情，。
    Nián qīng rén bú yīng gāi zòng qíng yú xiǎng lè, ér yìng nǔ lì fèn dòu.
    Young people should not indulge in pleasure-seeking, but should strive hard.
  • ，纵情，。
    Zài yīn yuè jié shàng, rén men zòng qíng gē wǔ, qì fen fēi cháng rè liè.
    At the music festival, people sang and danced to their hearts' content, and the atmosphere was very lively.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

纵zònglet loose
情qíngfeelings

纵 means let loose and 情 means feelings; letting feelings run freely.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 縱; 纵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
從
從cóng縱zòng
Same sound today

The traditional form 縱 pairs the 糸 part with 從 as a sound part; the simplified 纵 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 纵 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng情qíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →
Appears in
Emotions & Feelings

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