讖 (chèn) - Prophecy & omen

讖Tone 4

chèn ｜ 24 strokes ｜ radical:

晨呈

讖 · chèn

Prophecy;

omen;

a sign or prediction of the future, often mystical or supernatural in nature.

Prophecyomena sign or prediction of the future, often

Usage highlights

Prophecy textOmen and prophecyProphetic wordsProphetic sayingProphetic signBook of prophecies

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 事实— fact; reality
  • 历史— history (as recorded past, not prediction)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The ancient text contained a prophecy (讖文).
  • They interpreted the dream as an omen (讖兆).
  • The emperor was troubled by the portent (讖言).
  • This event fulfilled the prediction (讖语).

Collocations

  • Prophecy text(讖文)
  • Omen and prophecy(讖纬)
  • Prophetic words(讖言)
  • Prophetic saying(讖语)
  • Prophetic sign(讖兆)
  • Book of prophecies(讖书)

Idioms

  • A prophecy comes true(一语成谶)
  • The prophecy of the fallen boulder(亡秦者胡也之谶)
  • The prophecy of the replacement of fire by wood(代火者木也之谶)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Deeply rooted in ancient Chinese cosmology and political legitimization, often used to predict dynastic change.
  • Associated with the 'Chènwěi' (讖纬) school of thought, combining prophecy (讖) and weft texts (纬).
  • Historical figures sometimes used prophecies to justify their rise to power or to challenge the ruling dynasty.

FAQ