TongTong
Sign in

警醒 (jǐng xǐng) — to be alert, to stay vigilant; to sleep lightly, to be easily awakened

Definition

Two related senses: stay alert/vigilant (esp. against danger), and sleep lightly so as to wake easily. 比 警惕 (jǐngtì) focuses more on cautious watchfulness; 警醒 adds the element of being roused to attention.

verb
to be alertto stay vigilantto sleep lightlyto be easily awakened

Examples

  • ，警醒，。
    Zài yě wài shí, yào bǎo chí jǐng xǐng, zhù yì ān quán.
    When in the wild, stay alert and pay attention to safety.
  • 警醒，。
    Tā shuì jiào hěn jǐng xǐng, yì diǎn shēng yīn jiù xǐng le.
    He sleeps lightly and wakes up at the slightest noise.
  • ，警醒，。
    Zuò wéi bǎo ān, bì xū shí kè jǐng xǐng, zhù yì zhōu wéi huán jìng.
    As a security guard, you must always be alert and aware of your surroundings.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

警jǐngalert
醒xǐngawake

Being both 警 (alert) and 醒 (awake).

Characters in this word

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
言言yánspoken language, speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
敬
敬jìng警
Same sound today

警 places 言 (speech) below 敬; 敬 gives the sound.

Open 警 →

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
酉酉yǒualcohol
Sound part声符shēngfú
星
星xīng醒xǐng
Same sound today

醒 combines 酉, which stands for alcohol, with 星, which gives the sound.

Open 醒 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.