谚

諺

yàn

彦 + 讠

Definitions

yàn proverb

Etymology

Elegant 彦 words 讠; 彦 also provides the pronunciation

About

A phono-semantic compound, 谚 combines a semantic and a phonetic component. The traditional form 諺 uses 言 (speech) and 彥 (elegant, accomplished), while the simplified 谚 uses 讠 and 彦. The speech radical 讠 signals the connection to language, and 彦 provides the pronunciation. The character denotes a proverb or common saying, a concise expression of traditional wisdom or a universally acknowledged truth, and frequently appears in the compound 谚语, the standard term for proverbs.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是一句中国谚语。

Zhè shì yī jù Zhōngguó yànyǔ.

This is a Chinese proverb.

谚语通常很有智慧。

Yànyǔ tōngcháng hěn yǒu zhìhuì.

Proverbs are usually very wise.

我收集了很多民间谚语。

Wǒ shōujíle hěnduō mínjiān yànyǔ.

I have collected many folk proverbs.

这句谚语告诉我们诚实重要。

Zhè jù yànyǔ gàosù wǒmen chéngshí zhòngyào.

This proverb tells us that honesty is important.

老师用谚语解释这个道理。

Lǎoshī yòng yànyǔ jiěshì zhège dàolǐ.

The teacher used a proverb to explain this principle.

从古谚中我们可以学习历史。

Cóng gǔyàn zhōng wǒmen kěyǐ xuéxí lìshǐ.

From ancient proverbs, we can learn history.

尽管时代变迁，许多谚语依然适用。

Jǐnguǎn shídài biànqiān, xǔduō yànyǔ yīrán shìyòng.

Despite changes in times, many proverbs are still applicable.

通过分析谚语的隐喻，我们能深入理解文化。

Tōngguò fēnxī yànyǔ de yǐnyù, wǒmen néng shēnrù lǐjiě wénhuà.

By analyzing the metaphors in proverbs, we can deeply understand culture.

Related Characters

Component: 彦

Component: 讠

谚