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臣服 (chén fú) — to submit (to a ruler or authority); to pledge allegiance (to a ruler)

Definition

A formal/literary verb meaning to submit or pledge allegiance to a ruler or authority — most often seen in historical or political writing, not everyday speech.

verb
to submit (to a ruler or authority)to pledge allegiance (to a ruler)

Examples

  • 臣服。
    Zhè zuò chéng chí hěn kuài biàn xiàng dí jūn chén fú le.
    This city quickly submitted to the enemy forces.
  • 臣服。
    Tā bèi pò chén fú yú xīn wáng cháo de tǒng zhì.
    He was forced to submit to the rule of the new dynasty.
  • 臣服。
    Xǔ duō zhū hóu dōu biǎo shì yuàn yì chén fú.
    Many feudal lords expressed willingness to pledge allegiance.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

臣chénbecome a subject
服fúobey

臣 means to become a subject, 服 means to obey; together they express submitting and acknowledging allegiance.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

臣 is shaped like a man's vertical eye looking downward.

Open 臣 →

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
凡凡fántray
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬝
𠬝𠬝服fú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Open 服 →
Appears in
Government & Politics

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