Definition
誓 (shì) is a bound morpheme that never appears alone in modern Chinese. It combines with other characters to form compound words such as 发誓 (to swear / vow), 誓言 (oath / pledge), and 宣誓 (to take an oath). It is used in formal, solemn, or literary contexts. Remember that you cannot use 誓 by itself; you must always attach it to another morpheme.
b.f.
vowoathpledge (as a bound noun morpheme)to swearto vow (as a bound verb morpheme)
Examples
- 。Tā fā shì yào nǔlì xuéxí.He vowed to study hard.
- 。Tā zài hūnlǐ shàng xuāndú le shì yán.He read his vows at the wedding.
- 。Tāmen shì sǐ bǎowèi guójiā.They swore to defend their country to the death.
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