长眠 (cháng mián) — to pass away, to rest in peace (euphemistic, li…

Definition

Literary euphemism meaning 'to pass away / rest in peace' — used in writing, obituaries, or solemn speech, never in casual conversation.

verb

to pass awayto rest in peace (euphemistic, literary)

长眠。
Zhè wèi wěi rén cháng mián yú gù xiāng de tǔ dì.
This great person rests eternally in the land of his hometown.
长眠。
Yīng xióng men cháng mián zài qīng shān lǜ shuǐ zhī jiān.
The heroes lie buried among green mountains and clear waters.
长眠，。
Tā yǐ cháng mián, wǒ men yǒng yuǎn huái niàn tā.
She has passed away; we will remember her forever.

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.

长 means long or everlasting and 眠 means sleep, so the word euphemistically denotes eternal rest.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

目民眠

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

民

民mín眠mián

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眠 uses 目 (eye) to show the idea of closing the eyes, with 民 giving the sound.

Appears in