葬身 (zàng shēn) — to be buried (in a place); to meet one's death and be buried; (figurative) to perish, to meet one's end (in disaster, war, etc.)

Definition

A literary verb meaning 'to meet one's death and be buried' — usually in a disaster, war, or hostile place. Always figurative or high-register; not for ordinary burials.

verb
to be buried (in a place)to meet one's death and be buried(figurative) to perishto meet one's end (in disaster, war, etc.)

Examples

  • 葬身。
    Tā zuì zhōng zàng shēn yú gù xiāng de tǔ dì.
    He was finally buried in his hometown soil.
  • 葬身。
    Xǔ duō yú chuán zài zhè piàn hǎi yù zàng shēn hǎi dǐ.
    Many fishing boats perished and were buried at the bottom of this sea area.
  • 。
    Tā zài nà chǎng zhàn zhēng zhōng zàng le shēn.
    He met his death (and was buried) in that war.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

葬zàngbury
身shēnbody

葬 acts on 身, meaning to meet one's death and be buried.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 茻茻mǎnggrass
  • 死死sǐdead person

In 葬, 死, a dead person, is shown in 茻, grass, to picture burying the dead in grass.

Open 葬 →

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

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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