Chinese word

依恋

Pronunciation

Pinyinyī liàn

Meaning

  • nounattachment

Example

我对那张旧照片有些依恋。wǒ duì nà zhāng jiù zhào piān yǒu xiē yī liàn

I feel somewhat attached to that old photo.

Illustration for 依恋 (attachment)

More examples

他试着克服对那件衣服的依恋。tā shì zhe kè fú duì nà jiàn yī fú de yī liàn

He tried to overcome his attachment to that piece of clothing.

Core concept

An emotional pull that keeps a person close to someone or something, even when letting go would be easier.

Common phrases

  • 对旧物有依恋duì jiù wù yǒu yī liàn

    be attached to old things

  • 克服依恋kè fú yī liàn

    overcome attachment

Similar words

留恋liú liàn: A feeling of not wanting to leave a place, object, or the past.
怀念huái niàn: A warm feeling of remembering past people or events with longing.
依赖yī lài: A state of depending on a person or thing because managing alone is difficult.

Definition in Chinese

对某人或某物产生深厚的感情，难以舍弃，常带有依靠或怀念的意味。duì mǒu rén huò mǒu wù chǎn shēng shēn hòu de gǎn qíng nán yǐ shě qì cháng dài yǒu yī kào huò huái niàn de yì wèi

Word origin

依恋 (yīliàn, "attachment") combines 依 (yī, "lean on or rely on") with 恋 (liàn, "love or long for"), joining reliance with longing to describe a bond that is hard to leave.

Usage tips

  • An old photograph, childhood home, or familiar song can be its focus, so this word is not limited to relationships between people.

Other meanings

  • become attached toverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word