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预言 (yù yán) — (verb) to predict, to foretell; (noun) prophecy, prediction

Definition

预言 often names the prophecy itself (a noun — a stated prediction that may or may not come true), while 预测 is the act of forecasting a future outcome. Connotation is more literary or mysterious than the neutral 预测.

verb
to predictto foretell
noun
prophecyprediction
Easily confused

Examples

  • 预言。
    Kē xué jiā yù yán wèi lái huì fā shēng qì hòu biàn huà.
    Scientists predict that climate change will occur in the future.
  • 预言。
    Zhè ge gǔ lǎo de yù yán sì hū zhèng zài shí xiàn.
    This ancient prophecy seems to be coming true.
  • 预言。
    Méi yǒu rén néng yù yán gǔ shì de zǒu shì.
    No one can predict the trend of the stock market.

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.

预yùbeforehand
言yánspeak

The 预 meaning beforehand combines with 言 meaning speak to mean saying something in advance.

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 預; 预 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
予
予yǔ預yù
Same sound today

The traditional form 預 combines 予 for the sound and 頁 for the meaning; the simplified 预 is a later shorthand.

Open 预 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Thinking & Cognition5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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