形态 (xíngtài) — form, shape, mode

形态 (xíngtài)

形态 refers to the outward form, configuration, or mode of existence of something — whether physical, social, ideological, or linguistic. It is the standard term for morphology in linguistics and biology, and in social science it refers to how something is organized or manifested. It is closely related to German "Gestalt" in its philosophical usage.

Meanings

1. [n] form, shape, configuration (outward appearance or structure)
2. [n] mode, state (the way something exists or is organized)

Example Sentences

意识形态的差异是当今国际政治冲突的重要根源之一。 Yìshí xíngtài de chāyì shì dāngjīn guójì zhèngzhì chōngtū de zhòngyào gēnyuán zhī yī. Differences in ideology are one of the important root causes of contemporary international political conflict.

新媒体的兴起正在催生全新的信息传播形态和舆论生成机制。 Xīn méitǐ de xīngqǐ zhèngzài cuīshēng quánxīn de xìnxī chuánbō xíngtài hé yúlùn shēngchéng jīzhì. The rise of new media is generating entirely new forms of information dissemination and mechanisms of public opinion formation.

从历史角度审视，城市化不过是人类聚居形态演变的最新阶段。 Cóng lìshǐ jiǎodù shěnshì, chéngshìhuà bùguò shì rénlèi jūjū xíngtài yǎnbiàn de zuìxīn jiēduàn. From a historical perspective, urbanization is merely the latest stage in the evolution of human settlement patterns.

语言形态学研究词的内部结构，包括词根、前缀和后缀的变化规律。 Yǔyán xíngtài xué yánjiū cí de nèibù jiégòu, bāokuò cígēn, qiánjìn hé hòujìn de biànhuà guīlǜ. Linguistic morphology studies the internal structure of words, including the patterns of change in roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

这场金融危机揭示了现代资本主义经济形态内在的脆弱性。 Zhè chǎng jīnróng wēijī jiēshì le xiàndài zīběn zhǔyì jīngjì xíngtài nèizài de cuìruò xìng. This financial crisis revealed the inherent fragility of the modern capitalist economic form.

传统家庭形态正在向多元化方向演变，单亲家庭和丁克家庭日益普遍。 Chuántǒng jiātíng xíngtài zhèngzài xiàng duōyuán huà fāngxiàng yǎnbiàn, dānqīn jiātíng hé dīngkè jiātíng rìyì pǔbiàn. Traditional family forms are evolving toward greater diversity, with single-parent and DINK families becoming increasingly common.

Collocations

Usage Notes

形态 is a high-level academic noun. Its most politically charged compound is 意识形态 (ideology), which is ubiquitous in Chinese political discourse. In linguistics, 形态学 (morphology) deals with word structure. In social science, 社会形态 (social formation) derives from Marxist concepts of historical stages (Marx's "Gesellschaftsformation"). At C1, learners should distinguish between 形态 (form/mode) and 形式 (xíngshì, form/format as opposed to content): 形式 often contrasts with 内容 (content), while 形态 refers to the structural character of something's existence.

Memory Hook

形 (shape/form) + 态 (state/condition) — 形态 is the shape-state, the configuration in which something exists.