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象征性 (xiàng zhēng xìng) — symbolism; symbolic nature

Definition

A noun meaning 'symbolism' or 'symbolic quality' — the abstract property of standing for something else, not the symbol itself (象征).

noun
symbolismsymbolic nature

Examples

  • 象征性，。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō de xiàng zhēng xìng hěn qiáng, měi gè jué sè dōu dài biǎo yì zhǒng shè huì jiē céng.
    This novel's symbolism is strong; each character represents a social class.
  • ，象征性。
    Liǎng guó de wò shǒu yí shì suī rán jiǎn dān, dàn chōng mǎn le xiàng zhēng xìng.
    The handshake ceremony between the two countries, though simple, was full of symbolism.
  • 象征性。
    Zhè ge shǒu shì zài bù tóng wén huà zhōng yǒu bù tóng de xiàng zhēng xìng.
    This gesture has different symbolism in different cultures.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

象征symbol
象xiàngimage征zhēngsign
联合Coordinate
性xìngnature

象征 means symbol or to symbolize, and 性 means nature or quality: symbolic nature.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

象 is drawn as an elephant, with a long trunk, a head, and a big body.

Open 象 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 徵; 征 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 征 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (特征, 象征) it is 徵; in others it is 征.

The story is about the traditional form 徵. It originally meant punishment, from a picture of a knife with tooth-shaped protrusions on its back; later forms kept that sense.

Open 征 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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