谀 (yú) — to flatter (bound morpheme, used in compounds)
Definition
Bound morpheme meaning 'to flatter,' almost never used alone — it appears in compounds like 阿谀 and 谀辞, where it pairs with 阿 or 辞 to form the verb or noun.
bound form
to flatter (bound morpheme, used in compounds)
Easily confused
- 于yúsound-alike(preposition) at, in, on (used in formal/literary contexts for time or place)
- 鱼yúsound-alikefish
- 瑜yúsound-alikefine jade
- 余yúsound-alike(verb) to have leftover; to remain
- 予yúsound-aliketo give (literary/formal, bound form)
- 渝yúsound-alike(bound form) to change (literary, in compounds like 不渝, 至死不渝)
Examples
- 。Tā duì shàng si zǒng shì yí fù ē yú fèng chéng de yàng zi.He always looks like he's flattering and fawning on his boss.
- 谀。Zhè zhǒng yú cí tīng qǐ lái hěn xū wěi.This kind of flattering speech sounds very insincere.
- 谄谀，。Tā shàn yú chǎn yú, dàn wǒ bù xǐ huan zhè zhǒng rén.He is good at toadying, but I don't like that kind of person.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 諛; 谀 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú諛yú
Same sound today
In the traditional form 諛, 言 marks speech and 臾 gives the sound; the simplified 谀 is a shorthand, not the historical shape.
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