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遗嘱 (yí zhǔ) — will, testament

Definition

A legal document stating how a person wants their 遗产 (inheritance) distributed after death. Unlike 意志 ('willpower/determination'), this is a formal written testament, not inner resolve.

noun
willtestament
Measure word · 份

Examples

  • 遗嘱。
    Lǜ shī bāng tā qǐ cǎo le yí fèn yí zhǔ.
    The lawyer helped him draft a will.
  • 遗嘱。
    Tā de yí zhǔ lǐ xiě míng le cái chǎn fēn pèi.
    His will clearly states the distribution of property.
  • 遗嘱。
    Zhè fèn yí zhǔ xū yào liǎng gè zhèng rén qiān zì.
    This will needs two witnesses to sign.

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.

遗yíleave behind
嘱zhǔentrust

遗 means left behind and 嘱 means entrustments, so it is the instructions left behind.

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 遺; 遗 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòmove
Sound part声符shēngfú
貴
貴guì遺yí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 遺 pairs 辶 (move) with 貴 as a sound part; the simplified 遗 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 遗 →

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 囑; 嘱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
屬
屬shǔ囑zhǔ
Same sound today

The traditional form 囑 pairs 口 (mouth) with 屬 as a sound part. The simplified 嘱 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 嘱 →
Appears in
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