舞 (wǔ) — (noun) dance (as an art form or specific dance); (verb) to dance (often in literary or fixed expressions); (verb) to wield, brandish (e.g. a sword)
Definition
Literary/formal counterpart to 跳舞 (everyday 'dance') and 舞蹈 (the art form). Also appears in fixed compounds like 挥舞 ('wave, brandish'), giving 舞 a 'wielding' sense beyond dance.
noun
dance (as an art form or specific dance)
verb
to dance (often in literary or fixed expressions)to wieldbrandish (e.g. a sword)
Measure word · 支
Examples
- 。Tā xǐ huan zài yīn yuè zhōng zì yóu dì tiào wǔ.She likes to dance freely in the music.
- 舞。Tā wǔ zhe jiàn zài tái shàng biǎo yǎn.He performs on stage wielding a sword.
- 舞。Zhè duàn wǔ róng hé le gǔ diǎn hé xiàn dài fēng gé.This dance piece blends classical and modern styles.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
舛舛chuǎnsteps, feet in convergent direction
Sound part声符shēngfú
無
無wú舞wǔ
Same sound today
舞 combines 舛, showing feet in converging steps, with 無 above. 無 gave the sound and also preserved its older meaning of dancing, so the shape points to dancing.
Appears in
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