伞菌 (sǎn jūn) — agaric (mushroom of the family Agaricaceae)

Definition

noun

agaric (mushroom of the family Agaricaceae)

伞菌，。
Zhè zhǒng sǎn jūn de jūn gài hěn dà, yán sè yě hěn piào liang.
The cap of this agaric is large and its color is also beautiful.
伞菌。
Sēn lín lǐ yǒu hěn duō bù tóng zhǒng lèi de sǎn jūn.
There are many different kinds of agaric in the forest.
伞菌，。
Yǒu xiē sǎn jūn kě yǐ shí yòng, dàn yǒu xiē yǒu dú.
Some agarics are edible, but some are poisonous.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

伞sǎnumbrella

伞菌 combines 伞 (umbrella) with 菌 (fungus), describing a fungus shaped like an umbrella.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 傘; 伞 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 傘 is drawn like an umbrella. The simplified 伞 is a later shorthand, not the original drawing.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

艹囷菌

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎo

Sound part声符shēngfú

囷

囷qūn菌jūn

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 艹 is a plant sign, and the lower 囷 gives the sound.