铭记 (míng jì) — to engrave in one's memory; to keep firmly in mind (formal/literary)

Definition

铭记 is formal and emphasizes a lasting, engraved memory — stronger and more literary than 牢记, and used for lessons, history, or words one will not forget.

verb
to engrave in one's memoryto keep firmly in mind (formal/literary)

Examples

  • 铭记。
    Wǒ men yīng dāng míng jì zhè duàn lì shǐ.
    We should remember this period of history.
  • 。
    Tā bǎ fù qīn de huà yǒng yuǎn míng jì zài xīn lǐ.
    He engraved his father's words in his heart forever.
  • 铭记，。
    míng jì Nà cì jiào xùn, bú yào zài fàn tóng yàng de cuò wù.
    Remember that lesson; don't make the same mistake again.

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.

铭míngengrave
记jìremember

铭 adds the image of engraving to 记, making the remembering deep and lasting.

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 銘; 铭 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 銘 has 金 (metal) and 名 (name), and refers to engraving in metal; the simplified 铭 is a later shorthand.

Open 铭 →

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 記; 记 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech; words
Sound part声符shēngfú
己
己jǐ記jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 記 pairs 言 (speech; words) with 己 as a sound part; the simplified 记 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 记 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Thinking & Cognition

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