Definitions

(bound form) chest; breast; (bound form) inner feelings; subjective

Etymology

The part of the body ⺼ that feels also provides the pronunciation

About

The character "臆" is structurally composed of the radical "月", which typically denotes flesh or bodily aspects, and the component "意", serving both phonetic and semantic purposes to convey thought or idea, originally referring to the physical chest or breastbone. Its meaning gradually extended from this concrete anatomical term to encompass the subjective thoughts and conjectures that arise within one's mind, thereby acquiring abstract connotations of speculation and personal opinion. This semantic shift from a body part to an internalized mental process reflects a common pattern in Chinese character development where physical references evolve to describe psychological states, with "臆" maintaining a link between corporeal and cognitive domains through its enduring association with inward perception.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

请不要凭空测。

Qǐng bùyào píngkōng yìcè.

Please do not make baseless speculations.

他的想法纯属主观断。

Tā de xiǎngfǎ chúnshǔ zhǔguān yìduàn.

His thoughts are purely subjective assumptions.

我们不能只凭想下结论。

Wǒmen bùnéng zhǐ píng yìxiǎng xià jiélùn.

We cannot draw conclusions based solely on conjecture.

这份报告的内容大多是造的。

Zhè fèn bàogào de nèiróng dàduō shì yìzào de.

Most of the content in this report is fabricated.

调查需要证据,而非个人测。

Diàochá xūyào zhèngjù, ér fēi gèrén yìcè.

An investigation requires evidence, not personal conjecture.

他总爱测他人的动机,这不好。

Tā zǒng ài yìcè tārén de dòngjī, zhè bù hǎo.

He always likes to speculate about others' motives, which is not good.

如果脱离客观事实,就容易陷入断。

Rúguǒ tuōlí kèguān shìshí, jiù róngyì xiànrù yìduàn.

If one deviates from objective facts, it's easy to fall into assumption.

这些情节并非历史,而是小说家的想。

Zhèxiē qíngjié bìng fēi lìshǐ, ér shì xiǎoshuōjiā de yìxiǎng.

These plot points are not history, but the novelist's imagination/conjecture.