衔 (xián) - To hold in the mouth & to harbor (thoughts/feelings)
衔 · xián
To hold in the mouth;
to harbor (thoughts/feelings);
to bear (a title/rank);
to connect, link;
a rank, title.
To hold in the mouthto harbor (thoughts/feelings)to bear (a title/rank)
Usage highlights
Military rankTitle, positionTo harbor resentmentTo hold in mouthTo link upOfficial rank
Usage & contexts
Examples
- The bird holds a twig in its beak (衔着树枝).
- He harbors deep resentment (衔恨).
- She was awarded the military rank of colonel (上校军衔).
- The train cars are connected by couplings (车厢相衔).
Collocations
- Military rank(军衔)
- Title, position(头衔)
- To harbor resentment(衔恨)
- To hold in mouth(衔着)
- To link up(衔接)
- Official rank(官衔)
Idioms
- Bitter hatred that one is compelled to swallow(衔悲茹恨)
- To nurse a grievance(衔冤负屈)
- To hold a straw in the mouth as a sign of submission(衔璧牵羊)
- Interlocking, closely linked(衔尾相随)
Cultural background
FAQ- Originally depicted a horse with a bit in its mouth, representing control and restraint.
- In imperial China, '衔' was used in official titles and ranks within the bureaucratic system.
- The character conveys a sense of bearing responsibility or containing emotions, reflecting Confucian ideals of restraint.