罹难 (lí nàn) — to die in a disaster or accident; to be killed (in a tragic event)

Definition

A formal, written verb meaning 'to die in a disaster or accident.' Used in news reports and obituaries, not everyday speech.

verb
to die in a disaster or accidentto be killed (in a tragic event)

Examples

  • ，罹难。
    Zài nà cì kōng nàn zhōng, yǒu shù shí rén lí nàn.
    Dozens of people died in that plane crash.
  • ，。
    Tā lí le nán, jiā rén zhì jīn bēi tòng bù yǐ.
    He died in the disaster, and his family is still deeply grieved.
  • 罹难。
    Zhè chǎng dì zhèn dǎo zhì shù qiān rén lí nàn.
    This earthquake caused thousands of people to die.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

罹lísuffer
难nándisaster

罹 (suffer) and 难 (disaster) combine to mean suffer a disaster, often die in it.

Characters in this word

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

罹 is made from 网 (net), 忄 (heart, written as 心), and 隹 (bird).

Open 罹 →

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 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
暵
暵hàn難nán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Open 难 →

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