夭

殀
yāo
丿 + 大

Definitions

yāo (bound form) to die prematurely (also pr. [yǎo]); (literary) (of vegetation) luxuriant
yāo (bound form) to die prematurely (also pr. [yǎo]) (variant of 夭[yāo])

Etymology

Depicts a person walking quickly. Original form of 走. Relation to current meaning unclear.

About

夭 is a pictograph that originally showed a person walking quickly and served as the early form of 走. The link between this depiction and its modern meanings remains unclear. In contemporary use, it has two primary senses: youth, tenderness, or the early stages of growth (often applied to plants or young bodies), and prematurely dying before reaching maturity. These meanings appear almost exclusively in literary or formal writing, referring either to the supple quality of young vegetation or to tragic, early deaths.

Example Sentences Hide

那棵小树夭折了。

Nà kē xiǎo shù yāozhé le.

That small tree died young.

他的梦想不幸夭折。

Tā de mèngxiǎng bùxìng yāozhé.

His dream unfortunately died young.

这场疾病使许多孩子夭亡。

Zhè chǎng jíbìng shǐ xǔduō háizi yāowáng.

This disease caused many children to die young.

她的才华还没有展现就夭折了。

Tā de cáihuá hái méiyǒu zhǎnxiàn jiù yāozhé le.

Her talent died young before it could even show.

那个计划因为资金问题夭折了。

Nàgè jìhuà yīnwèi zījīn wèntí yāozhé le.

That plan died young due to funding issues.

这株植物在幼苗阶段就夭折了。

Zhè zhū zhíwù zài yòumiáo jiēduàn jiù yāozhé le.

This plant died young at the seedling stage.

他们的爱情在萌芽时期就夭折了。

Tāmen de àiqíng zài méngyá shíqī jiù yāozhé le.

Their love died young during its budding period.

这个创新项目由于缺乏支持而夭折。

Zhège chuàngxīn xiàngmù yóuyú quēfá zhīchí ér yāozhé.

This innovative project died young due to lack of support.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

笑 乔 跃 沃 妖 袄 饫 岙 祅 呑 殀 矨 飫

Component: 丿

方 么 力 向 儿 水 系 少 必 展 万 师 失 千

Component: 大

天 因 美 太 达 类 参 奇 奥 套 夺 奖 奋 庆

Example Words

夭折 逃之夭夭 夭亡 夭寿 靠夭