源etymfun
About

Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

Explanations are written by a local model (gemma4) and only published after a verification pass against the cited sources. How it works.

Chinese

實事求是

/ʂɻ̩³⁵ ʂɻ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ ʂɻ̩⁵¹/
to seek truth from facts; to be practical and pragmatic
  • 实事求是
Post Share

Etymology graph

  • inherited
  • borrowed
  • derived
  • parts
  • meaning component
  • sound component
  • related
React Flow
Press enter or space to select a node. You can then use the arrow keys to move the node around. Press delete to remove it and escape to cancel.
Press enter or space to select an edge. You can then press delete to remove it or escape to cancel.

點擊節點放大 · Click a node to zoom in

The character 實 combines elements of a house, coins, and shells, representing the pursuit of substance and tangible facts.
The character 實 combines elements of a house, coins, and shells, representing the pursuit of substance and tangible facts.

Origin

The phrase 實事求是 is composed of four characters. The character 實 means full, fulfilled, substantial, or rich. It contains the components 宀, a type of deep house with walls on all four sides, a roof, and a main hall, as well as 周, meaning to circle or encircle, 貫, meaning a string of one thousand coins, and 貝, meaning shellfish or cowrie.

Other components include 事, meaning thing or matter, which contains the components 又, meaning again or once more, and 中, meaning middle or center. The character 求 means to seek or to look for, and 是 means this or this thing.

Confidence: high · written by gemma4:26b, checked statement-by-statement against the sources below.

「實事求是」由四個漢字組成。其中「實」字包含「宀」（一種有四壁、屋頂與大廳的深宅）、「周」（圍繞）、「貫」（一串千枚錢幣）以及「貝」（貝殼或貨幣）等組成元件；「事」字則包含「又」（再次；再一次）與「中」（中間；中心）兩個元件；「求」字意為尋求或尋找；「是」字則意為「這」或「這件事」。

根據《國語辭典》的定義，此詞描述的是做事切實，並依照實際情況來確實地辦理事務。其字面結構結合了實質、事物、尋求與此物等意涵。

Confidence: high · written by gemma4:26b, checked statement-by-statement against the sources below.

Lineage

  • characterChinese實 “full; fulfilled; substantial; rich”
    • ideaChinese宀 “a type of deep house with walls on all four sides, a roof, a main hall, and back rooms”
    • ideaChinese周 “to circle; to encircle”
    • componentChinese貫 “a string of one thousand coins”
    • ideaChinese貝 “shellfish; cowrie”
  • characterChinese事 “thing; matter (Classifier: 件 m c; 樁／桩 m; 回 m; 條／条 mn-t)”
    • ideaChinese又 “again; once more”
    • ideaChinese中 “middle; center”
  • characterChinese求 “to seek; to look for”
  • characterChinese是 “this; this thing”
Wiktionary etymology text

No etymology text yet. The graph shows what is known from the sources.

Meanings

phrase
  1. to seek truth from facts; to be practical and pragmatic

國語辭典 definitions

  1. 做事切實，按實際情況去確實辦事。 例：凡事應本著實事求是的態度，把事情做好。

© Ministry of Education, Taiwan — CC BY-ND 3.0 TW, shown unaltered.

Sources

  • etymagent (local gemma4:26b) — Generated
  • 教育部《國語辭典簡編本》 (Taiwan MOE) — CC BY-ND 3.0 TW
  • Written form — n/a
  • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0