郁积 (yù jī) — (of emotions) to smolder, to be pent-up; (medicine) stasis, stagnation

Definition

郁积 describes emotions or qi/blood that have built up and stayed stuck inside without release. Use it for things that have been smoldering a long time and are about to burst out.

verb
(of emotions) to smolderto be pent-up(medicine) stasisstagnation

Examples

  • 郁积，。
    Tā xīn lǐ de fèn nù cháng qī yù jī, zhōng yú bào fā le.
    The anger pent up in his heart for a long time finally erupted.
  • 郁积。
    Zhōng yī rèn wéi qì xuè yù jī huì dǎo zhì hěn duō jí bìng.
    Traditional Chinese medicine believes that stagnation of qi and blood can cause many diseases.
  • 郁积。
    Tā cháng qī yù jī de bēi shāng xū yào zhǎo rén qīng sù.
    Her long-suppressed grief needs someone to talk to.

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.

郁yùpent-up
积jīaccumulate

The pent-up idea in 郁 and the accumulating idea in 积 join to describe emotions or fluids building up without release.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鬱; 郁 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 鬱 shows 林 (forest), 大 (standing person), and 勹 (leaning person), with people hiding in a lush forest; the simplified 郁 is a later abbreviation.

Open 郁 →

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 積; 积 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
責
責zé積jī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 積 pairs 禾 (grain) with 責, which gives the sound; the simplified 积 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 积 →

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