About
The character "颐" in its traditional form is structured with the left component "臣", which originally depicted a vigilant eye, though its specific semantic contribution here is debated, and the right component "頁", which signifies the head, clearly indicating its early association with the lower face. Its original and core meaning was the jaw or cheek, a physical reference which then extended metaphorically to the act of chewing or taking nourishment. This connection between the physical mouth and sustenance logically supported a further semantic expansion, giving rise to the abstract concepts of nurturing, fostering, and maintenance, as seen in the classical term for self-cultivation. Over time, while retaining its concrete anatomical sense, the character became more prominently used in these cultivated, metaphorical senses pertaining to care and nourishment, both of the self and of others.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我们去颐和园游玩。
颐和园的风景非常漂亮。
他注重颐养身体健康。
颐养身心是重要的生活原则。
老人应该颐养晚年。
颐神养性有助于提高生活质量。
在中医里，颐养正气很重要。
通过均衡饮食和适度运动，我们可以更好地颐养生命。