Definitions

(verb) to move; to shift
(verb) to change; to alter

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Alludes to grain moving while it is blown by the wind.

About

The character 移, formed by the components 禾 (grain) and 多 (many), initially represented the agricultural act of transplanting or shifting crops, a meaning derived from the practical need to relocate plants for optimal cultivation. Its structure suggests a process involving multiple grains, echoing the repetitive nature of such labor. Over time, the term's application shifted from this specific horticultural context to encompass a wider range of movements, including the transfer of objects, people, or even abstract notions like influence or sentiment. This semantic expansion further allowed 移 to acquire additional layers of meaning, such as alteration or change, thereby enabling its use in diverse phrases describing everything from physical relocation to metaphorical transformations in thought or circumstance.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

动椅子。

Qǐng yídòng yǐzi.

Please move the chair.

他把花到窗外。

Tā bǎ huā yí dào chuāng wài.

He moved the flowers to outside the window.

他们计划民美国。

Tāmen jìhuà yímín Měiguó.

They plan to immigrate to the USA.

公司转了重点。

Gōngsī zhuǎnyí le zhòngdiǎn.

The company shifted its focus.

医生植了肾脏。

Yīshēng yízhí le shènzàng.

The doctor transplanted a kidney.

鸟类每年迁到南方。

Niǎolèi měinián qiānyí dào nánfāng.

Birds migrate south every year.

经理把工作交给我。

Jīnglǐ bǎ gōngzuò yíjiāo gěi wǒ.

The manager handed over the work to me.

由于环境变化,动物被迫迁栖息地。

Yóuyú huánjìng biànhuà, dòngwù bèipò qiānyí qīxīdì.

Due to environmental changes, animals are forced to migrate their habitats.