About
The Chinese character 险 (simplified from 險) is a phonosemantic compound. Its left-side radical, 阝, means 'mound' or 'hill' and establishes the semantic field of topography. The right-hand component, 佥, is an abbreviated form of 僉 and indicates the pronunciation. In its traditional form, the complex phonetic 僉 was paired with the terrain radical. The earliest meaning designated steep, inaccessible, and physically treacherous mountain passes. Because such terrain posed grave threats, the meaning broadened from hazardous physical locations to abstract ideas of danger, risk, and insecurity. The simplified version retains the mound radical to anchor the definition in the concept of obstacles and danger, while replacing the phonetic with the simpler 佥.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个地方很危险。
我买了汽车保险。
他喜欢冒险运动。
山路十分险峻。
这次投资有点风险。
避免危险是每个人的本能。
尽管情况险恶，他们还是成功了。
由于地形险要，这里曾经发生过多次事故。
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