静 (jìng) — still, calm, quiet; not moving
Definition
Use 静 as a single-character adjective/verb for 'still, calm' (a room, the sea, one's heart). As a verb it works like 'quiet down'; 安静 is the more common adjective form, 寂静 is a deeper literary silence, 静止 emphasizes motionless.
stillcalmquietnot moving
Examples
- 静。Zhè ge fáng jiān hěn jìng.This room is very quiet.
- 静，。Hǎi miàn hěn jìng, méi yǒu fēng.The sea is calm, there is no wind.
- 静，。Qǐng dà jiā jìng yí xià, wǒ yào shuō huà le.Please quiet down, I want to speak.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 靜; 静 is its simplified writing.
- 青青qīng
- 爭爭zhēng
The traditional form 靜, not the simplified 静, uses 青 and 爭 for sound; an old source also treats 青 (blue) as a meaning part.
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