贪恋 (tān liàn) — to be reluctant to part with; to cling to (often a pleasure, vice, or comfortable situation)

Definition

贪恋 means to cling to or covet something pleasurable (comfort, past glory, a habit) because you don't want to let go — the emphasis is on the unwillingness to part with it, not on ordinary liking.

verb
to be reluctant to part withto cling to (often a pleasure, vice, or comfortable situation)

Examples

  • 贪恋，。
    Tā tài tān liàn shū shì de shēng huó, bú yuàn yì qù chī kǔ.
    He clings too much to a comfortable life and is unwilling to endure hardship.
  • 贪恋。
    tān liàn Guò qù de huī huáng zhī huì zǔ ài nǐ qián jìn.
    Clinging to past glory will only hinder your progress.
  • ，贪恋。
    Tā jiè bú diào yān, yīn wèi tài tān liàn nà zhǒng fàng sōng de gǎn jué.
    He can't quit smoking because he's too attached to that feeling of relaxation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

贪tāncovet
恋liànbe attached

Coveting and being attached together mean clinging to something one is unwilling to part with.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貪; 贪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney
Sound part声符shēngfú
今
今jīn貪tān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貪 places 今 (open mouth) above 貝 (money); 今 gives the sound, and 貝 relates to the meaning. 贪 is the simplified shorthand.

Open 贪 →

Most 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 戀; 恋 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌戀liàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 戀 pairs 心 (heart) with 䜌 as a sound part; 恋 is a later simplified form.

Open 恋 →

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