义 yì right conduct
right conduct; propriety
How it came to be
The full form is a sheep over a toothed pole weapon: a sheep brought to be offered, what is owed and properly done. Simplified to a stroke and a dot.
How it is used
- Bound character central to abstract vocabulary: 意义 (yìyì, meaning/significance), 定义 (dìngyì, definition).
- 主义 (zhǔyì) is the productive suffix for "-ism": 社会主义 (shèhuì zhǔyì, socialism).
- 义务 (yìwù) means duty/obligation, and by extension "free of charge", as in 义务教育 (yìwù jiàoyù, compulsory education).
Characters built with 义
Words with 义
- 义务yìwùdutyHSK 5
- 意义yìyìsenseHSK 5
- 含义hányìmeaning (implicit in a phrase)HSK 6
- 定义dìngyìdefinitionHSK 6
- 正义zhèngyìjusticeHSK 6
- 主义zhǔyì-ismHSK 8
- 义工yìgōngvolunteer workerHSK 8
- 名义míngyìnameHSK 8
- 天经地义tiānjīng-dìyìliterally heaven's law and earth's principleHSK 8
- 广义guǎngyìbroad senseHSK 8
- 断章取义duànzhāng-qǔyìto quote out of contextHSK 8
- 狭义xiáyìnarrow senseHSK 9
- 社会主义shèhuìzhǔyìsocialismHSK 9
- 见义勇为jiànyì-yǒngwéiusually of a passer-by who comes across a critical situationHSK 9
- 见利忘义jiànlì-wàngyìto abandon moral principles in the pursuit of profitHSK 9
- 资本主义zīběnzhǔyìcapitalismHSK 9
- 顾名思义gùmíng-sīyìas the name impliesHSK 9