悬 xuán to hang
to hang; to hoist; to suspend; unresolved
How to remember 悬: 县 county + 心 heart = to hang. At the county fair, a boy with a paper heart climbs a ladder to hang it above the stage.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
悬 = 县 county + 心 heart
- 县 county sound
- 心 heart meaning
At the county fair, a boy with a paper heart climbs a ladder to hang it above the stage.
How it came to be
The word was first written with the county sign alone, and the heart was added below later to tell the two words apart.
How it is used
- To hang/be suspended, and by extension unresolved or far apart: 悬挂 (xuánguà) to hang up, 悬念 (xuánniàn) suspense (in a story), 悬案 (xuán'àn) an unsolved case.
- 悬殊 (xuánshū) = vastly disparate: 实力悬殊 (shílì xuánshū) a huge gap in strength.
- 悬崖勒马 (xuányá-lèmǎ) = to pull back at the brink.