侄 (zhí) — brother's child (nephew or niece)
Definition
Bound form meaning 'brother's child' — always combined with 子 (nephew) or 女 (niece); never stands alone.
bound form
brother's child (nephew or niece)
Examples
- 。Wǒ de zhí zi jīn nián shí suì le.My nephew is ten years old this year.
- 。Tā de zhí nǚ gāng gāng kǎo shàng dà xué.Her niece just got into college.
- 。Tā jīng cháng zhào gù tā de zhí zi.He often takes care of his nephew.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
侄 pairs 亻 (a person) with 至, which gives the sound.
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