启示

• Pinyin: qǐ shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 启 = 户 + 攵 (open/reveal); 示 = 二 + 小 (show/divine revelation)

Meaning

Revelation; inspiration; an insight or lesson drawn from experience. To reveal truth or wisdom.

Functions as both verb and noun. Common in philosophical, religious, and reflective writing. Collocates with 深刻的启示 (profound revelation/insight). More specific than 启发 — often implies a discovered truth or lesson revealed through experience or contemplation.

Examples

1. 这场危机给全社会留下了深刻的启示：安全意识在任何时候都不可或缺。 This crisis left society with a profound lesson: safety awareness is indispensable at all times.
2. 读完这部传记，他从中获得了关于坚韧与奉献精神的重要人生启示。 After finishing the biography, he drew an important life lesson from it about resilience and dedication.
3. 圣经中的启示录是基督教重要的末世论典籍，充满象征与预言。 The Book of Revelation is a key Christian text on the end times, rich in symbolism and prophecy.

Usage Guide

Context: philosophy, religion, reflection

Tone: reflective

Do Say

• 这段坎坷的创业经历给了他关于失败与坚持的深刻启示，令他终生受益。(This turbulent entrepreneurial experience gave him a profound revelation about failure and perseverance that benefited him for life.)
• 自然界的生态规律往往能给人类社会的发展提供出人意料的深刻启示。(The ecological laws of the natural world often provide unexpectedly profound revelations for human social development.)

Don't Say

• 他的笑话给了我启示 — 启示 conveys a serious revelation or insight; use 灵感/提示 for casual ideas sparked by trivial events

Origin & History

启 (to open/reveal) + 示 (to show/indicate) — to open and make manifest

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal