part; separate; bid farewell
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to part; to separate; to bid farewell (literary)
literaryA highly literary term describing the act of parting or saying goodbye, derived from the ancient image of tearing a sleeve as a keepsake. Used primarily in written Chinese, poetry, or formal contexts.
Tā他
men们
zài在
dù渡
kǒu口
fēn分
mèi袂
，
xiāng相
yuē约
lái来
rì日
chóng重
féng逢
。
They parted at the ferry, promising to reunite in the future.
Zì自
nà那
cì次
fēn分
mèi袂
，
yǐ已
shì是
shí十
nián年
guāng光
yīn阴
。
Since that parting, ten years have already passed.
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Gǔ古
rén人
fēn分
mèi袂
zhī之
jì际
，
cháng常
hù互
zèng赠
shī诗
wén文
yǐ以
biǎo表
xī惜
bié别
zhī之
qíng情
。
When ancient people parted, they would often exchange poems to express their reluctance to say goodbye.