Definitions
About
The character for "身" originated as a pictographic representation of the human torso, specifically emphasizing the profile of a person with a protruding abdomen, which scholars interpret as depicting a pregnant state, thus grounding its earliest meaning in the physical body. Over time, this concrete reference to the trunk of a body expanded semantically to encompass the entire physical body of a person or animal, and then further abstracted to denote one's own person, life, or self, as seen in terms concerning personal experience or identity. In its traditional form, the character's structure has maintained this essential pictographic silhouette, and it also functions as a semantic component, or radical, in other characters related to the body, such as "軀" (body). This conceptual progression from a specific physical form to a broader sense of embodied existence demonstrates how the character's core concept has been extended while retaining its foundational visual and conceptual link to the human form.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我的身体很好。
他站在我身边。
她的身材很苗条。
我们要注意自身安全。
他的身份是公司经理。
他全身都被雨淋湿了。
这件事情涉及他的切身利益。
在逆境中，他展现了强大的身心力量。