04 Compound ideographs

Lesson 04 Combined characters (1)

Compound ideographshuì yì zì

会 意 字

huì yì• Compound ideographs ( 会 意 – joined meaning) (also called “associative characters”) are one category of combined characters.

• In associative characters, two or more elements are combined to suggest a new meaning.

• The elements which form the combined characters are either pictographic or ideographic characters. They can also be symbols derived from the independent characters. Sometimes a combined character can also be used to be an element of a new character.

míng rì yuè

• The character 明 is consist of two pictographic characters “ 日” and “ 月 ” .

rì yuèBoth “ 日 ” (sun) and “ 月 ” (moon) shine and bring light. So the new

míng

character 明 , which is consist of the two pictographic characters means “bright”.

tǐ běn

• The character 体 has two parts: “ 亻” and “ 本 ” . “ 亻” is

rén the symbol derived from the pictogram “ 人 ” (person, people) ， běnand “ 本 ” (root) is an ideographic character. So the new associative

tǐ character 体 means “the root of a person - body”.

jiā家 home,family

jià嫁 (woman) marry a man

lín林 forest

cóng 从 to follow - from

zhòng 众 many,numerous

zuò 坐 to sit

hǎo 好 good

xìn信 trust

lèi泪 tear

shuǐ水

jiǔ酒 wine

yáng阳 sunny side

yīn阴 shady side

• An important concept in traditional Chinese philosophy, esp. in Taoism.

• Describes opposite or contrary forces in the world. yáng: fire, sky, sun, masculinity and daytime…

yīn: water, earth, moon, femininity and nighttime…• The opposite forces are interconnected and interdependent with

each other

• lies at the origins of classical Chinese science and philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese martial arts.

Classic taoist Taijitu

阴 (yīn) and 阳 (yáng)

měi美 beautiful

nán 男 man,male

cǎi采 to pick

zǎo早 morning, early

kàn看 look

yǒu有 to have, to

own

shì是 yes, to be

duō多 many, much

qù去 to go to, to leave for

bǐ笔 pen

nín 您 You (respectful)