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血肉 (xuè ròu) — flesh and blood (literal); (figurative) inseparable bond; one's own body (as in 血肉相连, 血肉之躯)

Definition

Literally 'flesh and blood' — used in set phrases like 血肉相连 (inseparable bond) and 血肉之躯 (one's mortal body) to evoke closeness, kinship, or physical vulnerability.

noun
flesh and blood (literal)(figurative) inseparable bondone's own body (as in 血肉相连, 血肉之躯)

Examples

  • 血肉。
    Rén de shēn tǐ shì yóu xuè ròu gòu chéng de.
    The human body is made of flesh and blood.
  • 。
    Rén mín jūn duì yǔ rén mín qún zhòng xuè ròu xiāng lián.
    The people's army is inseparably linked to the masses.
  • 。
    Yīng xióng yòng xuè ròu zhī qū bǎo wèi le zǔ guó.
    The hero defended the motherland with his mortal body.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

血xuèblood
肉ròuflesh

血 names blood and 肉 names flesh; together they refer to the body's flesh and blood.

Characters in this word

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

  • 一一yīdrop of blood
  • 皿皿mǐncontainer

The shape shows 一, a drop of blood, inside 皿, a container, for blood held in a sacrificial vessel.

Open 血 →

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

The original shape of 肉 showed ribs of an animal’s torso, or simply a slice of meat.

Open 肉 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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