An Analysis of Semantic Features and Formal Collocations of the Commonly Confused Words Xiāngxìn and Xìnrèn

Abstract

There is some research on the two confusing words xiāngxìn and xìnrèn in academic circles. This paper analyzes the semantic characteristics of xiāngxìn in detail; that is, xiāngxìn has the characteristics of a definition of belief, and the object has the characteristics of probability. The objects with clauses after Wo xiāngxìn can be divided into five types: consistency of related things, unprovable category, superficial contradiction category, prayer category, and inheritance and ellipsis category. This paper also makes a detailed investigation into the usage of xìnrèn as a noun. In addition, based on the pattern grammar method, we investigate the similarities and differences of xiāngxìn and xìnrèn from the aspects of adverb categories, personal pronouns acting as objects, and related noun categories. Finally, the article tries to re-analyze xiāngxìn and xìnrèn to supplement the existing achievements.