TongTong
Sign in

遗弃 (yí qì) — to abandon, to forsake (especially a person, animal, or responsibility)

Definition

遗弃 is to abandon a person (or pet) one is responsible for — implies breaking a duty. 抛弃 is broader (people, things, ideas); 丢弃 and 废弃 are for objects, not dependents.

verb
to abandonto forsake (especially a person, animal, or responsibility)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 遗弃。
    Tā yīn wèi jīng jì kùn nan bèi pò yí qì le zì jǐ de hái zi.
    He was forced to abandon his own child due to financial hardship.
  • 遗弃。
    Zhèng fǔ jiàn lì le shōu róng suǒ lái zhào gù bèi yí qì de chǒng wù.
    The government set up shelters to care for abandoned pets.
  • 遗弃，。
    Zhè xiē jiù jiā jù bèi yí qì zài lù biān, méi rén yào le.
    These old pieces of furniture were abandoned by the roadside, unwanted by anyone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

遗yíabandon
弃qìdiscard

遗弃 combines 遗 (abandon) and 弃 (discard) to mean abandon or forsake.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 棄; 弃 is its simplified writing.

  • 子子zǐchild
  • 𠀠𠀠𠀠basket
  • 廾廾gǒngtwo hands

The traditional form 棄, not the simplified 弃, shows 子 (child), 𠀠 (basket), and 廾 (two hands), as a picture of throwing out a child in a basket.

Open 弃 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.