贵妃 (guì fēi) — highest-ranking imperial concubine (below the empress)

Definition

An imperial concubine of the highest rank, just below the empress (皇后). The term is tied to formal court titles, most famously Yang Guifei of the Tang dynasty.

noun
highest-ranking imperial concubine (below the empress)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 贵妃贵妃。
    Táng dài de yáng guì fēi shì zhōng guó lì shǐ shàng zuì zhù míng de guì fēi zhī yī.
    Yang Guifei of the Tang dynasty is one of the most famous imperial concubines in Chinese history.
  • 贵妃。
    Zhè bù diàn shì jù jiǎng shù le guì fēi yǔ huáng dì de ài qíng gù shi.
    This TV series tells the love story between an imperial concubine and the emperor.
  • ，贵妃。
    Zài gǔ dài, guì fēi de dì wèi jǐn cì yú huáng hòu.
    In ancient times, the highest-ranking imperial concubine's status was second only to the empress.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

贵guìnoble
妃fēiconsort

“贵” (noble) and “妃” (consort) combine to mean a high-ranking imperial consort.

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 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney cowrie
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú貴guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →

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

  • 女女nǚwoman
  • 卩卩jiéa kneeling man

妃 shows 女 (woman) next to 卩 (a kneeling man).

Open 妃 →

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