纪念碑

• Pinyin: jì niàn bēi
• Hanzi breakdown: 纪 = 纟+ 己 (to record); 念 = 今 + 心 (now + heart — to think of/remember); 碑 = 石 + 卑 (stone + low — stone stele)

Meaning

Monument; memorial. A large structure erected to commemorate a significant person, event, or sacrifice.

Carries strong symbolic weight in Chinese culture. The Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square is the most iconic example. Used both literally and figuratively (a milestone achievement described as a 'monument in history').

Examples

1. 广场中央矗立着一座宏伟的抗战纪念碑。 A magnificent memorial to the War of Resistance stands in the center of the square.
2. 这座纪念碑铭刻着在战争中牺牲的英雄们的名字。 This monument bears the names of the heroes who died in the war.
3. 这项科学发现堪称人类文明史上的一座精神纪念碑。 This scientific discovery can be seen as a spiritual monument in the history of human civilization.

Usage Guide

Context: history, architecture, commemoration

Tone: solemn

Do Say

• 南京大屠杀遇难同胞纪念碑每年吸引数以百万计的参观者前来悼念，无声地诉说着那段不应被遗忘的历史创痛。(The memorial to the victims of the Nanjing Massacre attracts millions of visitors each year who come to pay their respects, silently bearing witness to the historical trauma that must not be forgotten.)
• 设计师在创作这座纪念碑时刻意摒弃了宏大叙事的惯常手法，转而以极简主义的形式传递出对逝者最深沉的哀思。(In designing this monument, the architect deliberately abandoned the conventional approach of grand narratives, instead employing a minimalist form to convey the most profound mourning for the departed.)

Don't Say

• 纪念碑 is specifically a monument/stele; for a commemorative hall or museum use 纪念馆, not 纪念碑

Origin & History

纪念 (to commemorate) + 碑 (stone stele/monument)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal