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肺腑 (fèi fǔ) — the bottom of one's heart; innermost feelings (used in literary set phrases)

Definition

Literary noun that almost always appears in set phrases like 肺腑之言 ('words from the heart'). Don't use it alone — it's a written-style stand-in for 'innermost feelings'.

noun
the bottom of one's heartinnermost feelings (used in literary set phrases)

Examples

  • 。
    Tā shuō de měi yí jù huà dōu shì fèi fǔ zhī yán.
    Every word he said came from the bottom of his heart.
  • 。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng de qíng jié zhēn shì gǎn rén fèi fǔ.
    The plot of this movie is truly deeply moving.
  • ，。
    Tā xiàng wǒ qīng sù le fèi fǔ zhī yán, ràng wǒ hěn gǎn dòng.
    She poured out her innermost thoughts to me, and I was very touched.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

肺fèilung
腑fǔviscera

lung and viscera together suggest the innermost feelings.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat; flesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
巿
巿fú肺fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

肺 combines ⺼, a form of 肉 meaning flesh, with 巿 for the sound.

Open 肺 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
府
府fǔ腑⁰fǔ
Same sound today

腑 is built from ⺼ (肉, flesh) and 府, which gives the sound fǔ.

Appears in
Emotions & FeelingsOrgans & Anatomy

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