The Asymmetry ofAnandWei, Antonyms in Chinese
Abstract
An(safe安) and
wei(dangerous危) form a pair of antonyms, but they exhibit asymmetry in their usage. Through a detailed investigation, this asymmetry is found to manifest in four aspects: senses, lexicology, syntax, and semantic fields. By analyzing the asymmetrical characteristics of
ansafe and
weidangerous, this study aims to elucidate the reasons behind this asymmetry, with the hope of contributing to the field of teaching Chinese as a foreign language, dictionary compilation related to Chinese, and the use of antonyms in Chinese.
