英勇 (yīng yǒng) — heroic, brave, valiant

Definition

Literary/formal 'heroic, valiant' — describes brave deeds in battle or rescue, stronger and more elevated than the everyday 勇敢.

adjective
heroicbravevaliant

Examples

  • 英勇
    Zài zhàn zhēng zhōng, shì bīng men biǎo xiàn dé shí fēn yīng yǒng.
    In the war, the soldiers performed very heroically.
  • 英勇
    Tā yīng yǒng dì jiù chū le luò shuǐ de hái zi.
    She bravely rescued the child who had fallen into the water.
  • 英勇
    Tā de yīng yǒng xíng wéi yíng dé le dà jiā de zūn jìng.
    His heroic deeds earned everyone's respect.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

yīngoutstanding

英 (outstanding) and 勇 (brave) combine to describe fearless, heroic behavior.

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
Written in full ascǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
yāngyīng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

英 pairs 艹 (grass) with 央, which gives the sound.

Open 英 →

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
strong
Sound part声符shēngfú
yǒngyǒng
Same sound today

勇 pairs 甬, which gives the sound, with 力, a strength part, to mean brave and strong.

Open 勇 →

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