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辟邪 (bì xié) — to ward off evil spirits, to exorcise

Definition

辟邪 (bì xié) is a verb-object phrase meaning to drive away or repel evil spirits and bad luck, typically through charms, talismans, or rituals. Often used as an attributive, as in 辟邪的作用 ('the function of warding off evil').

verb
to ward off evil spiritsto exorcise

Examples

  • ，辟邪。
    Tā zài mén kǒu guà le yí miàn jìng zi, shuō shì kě yǐ bì xié.
    He hung a mirror at the door, saying it could ward off evil spirits.
  • ，。
    Duān wǔ jié rén men hē xióng huáng jiǔ, wèi le pì yi bì xié.
    During the Dragon Boat Festival, people drink realgar wine to ward off evil a bit.
  • ，辟邪。
    Zhè ge yù pèi shì zǔ chuán de, jù shuō yǒu bì xié de zuò yòng.
    This jade pendant is heirloom; it's said to have the function of warding off evil.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

辟pìward off
邪xiéevil

辟邪 combines 辟 as 'ward off' with 邪 as 'evil', so the meaning is to drive away evil spirits.

Characters in this word

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

  • 卩卩jiékneeling person
  • 䇂䇂䇂sickle-like tool

The early form of 辟 pairs a kneeling person 卩 with a sickle-like tool 䇂, for administering, regulating, or punishing.

Open 辟 →

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
邑邑yìtown; city
Sound part声符shēngfú
牙
牙yá邪xié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

邪 puts 牙 beside 邑 (town; city): 牙 gives the sound, and 邑 shows it was first used in a place name. It was later used for strange or evil meanings.

Open 邪 →
Appears in
Mythology & FolkloreReligion & Belief

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