解救 (jiě jiù) — to rescue, to save (from danger or difficulty)

Definition

解救 means to rescue or free someone from danger or difficulty — broader and more literary than 救, with a sense of liberating. Often takes a 被 construction, as in the examples.

verb
to rescueto save (from danger or difficulty)

Examples

  • 解救
    Xiāo fáng yuán cóng dà huǒ zhōng jiě jiù chū le yì zhī xiǎo māo.
    The firefighters rescued a kitten from the big fire.
  • 解救
    Tā men zhōng yú bèi jiě jiù chū lái le, dà jiā dōu sōng le yì kǒu qì.
    They were finally rescued, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
  • 解救
    Yī shēng quán lì jiě jiù le nà wèi zhòng shāng de bìng rén.
    The doctor did everything to rescue the seriously injured patient.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

解 means free and 救 means save; together they pull someone out of danger.

Characters in this word

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

解 shows 刀 (knife) separating 角 (horn) from 牛 (cow), giving the picture of cutting up an ox.

Open 解 →

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
qiújiù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 救, 求 gives the sound, and 攴 is the action part.

Open 救 →

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