Definition
节欲 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to practice abstinence' or 'to control desires'. It is used in contexts of self-restraint regarding food, sex, luxury, etc. The character 欲 (desire) can take modifiers or quantify the duration between the two parts — e.g., 节了一个月的欲 ('abstained for a month').
v.o.
to practice abstinenceto be asceticto control one's desires
Examples
- ，。Tā jié le yí gè yuè de yù, gǎnjué shēnxīn dōu qīngsōng le.He practiced abstinence for a month and felt both physically and mentally lighter.
- 节欲。Hěnduō rén dōu rènwéi jiē shì xiūxíng de yí bùfen.Many people consider abstinence to be part of spiritual practice.
- ，节欲。Wèile jiànkāng, tā juédìng jiē yí duàn shíjiān.For his health, he decided to abstain for a period of time.
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