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言行 (yán xíng) — words and actions; what one says and does

Definition

言行 pairs 言 ('words') with 行 ('actions') to mean 'what one says and does' as one unit — usually moral judgment. 行为 is just 'behavior'; 品行 focuses on moral character.

noun
words and actionswhat one says and does

Examples

  • 言行。
    Zuò rén yào yán xíng yí zhì.
    One should be consistent in words and actions.
  • 言行。
    Tā de yán xíng ràng rén hěn shī wàng.
    His words and actions are very disappointing.
  • 言行。
    Cóng yí gè rén de yán xíng kě yǐ liǎo jiě tā de xìng gé.
    You can understand a person's character from their words and actions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

言yánwords
行xíngactions

言 means 'words' and 行 means 'actions'; together they refer to what someone says and does.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →

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

  • 彳彳chì
  • 亍亍chù

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

Open 行 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Communication & Speech

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