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预言家 (yù yán jiā) — prophet; fortune-teller

Definition

noun
prophetfortune-teller
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 预言家。
    Nà wèi gǔ dài yù yán jiā de yù yán hòu lái guǒ rán yìng yàn le.
    The prophecy of that ancient prophet indeed came true later.
  • 预言家，。
    Tā zì chēng shì yù yán jiā, néng tōng guò tǎ luó pái yù cè wèi lái.
    She claims to be a fortune-teller and can predict the future with tarot cards.
  • 预言家。
    Kē huàn xiǎo shuō lǐ de yù yán jiā wǎng wǎng néng kàn jiàn zāi nàn de jiàng lín.
    Prophets in science fiction novels can often see the arrival of disasters.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

预言foretell
预yùin advance言yánsay
偏正Modifier + head
家jiāperson

预 means in advance, 言 means say, and 家 points to a person, giving one who foretells.

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 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →
Appears in
Religion & Belief

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