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信使 (xìn shǐ) — messenger; courier

Definition

noun
messengercourier
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 信使。
    Gǔ dài xìn shǐ yòng mǎ chuán dì xiāo xi.
    In ancient times, messengers used horses to deliver messages.
  • 信使。
    Zhè wèi xìn shǐ dài lái le zhòng yào wén jiàn.
    This courier brought important documents.
  • 信使。
    Tā men pài le yì míng xìn shǐ qù sòng xìn.
    They sent a messenger to deliver a letter.

Origin

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.

信xìnmessage
使shǐenvoy

The 信 (message) and 使 (envoy) combine to mean a courier.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
吏
吏lì使shǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

使 pairs 亻 (person) with 吏, which pictures a hand holding something like a flag, giving the sense of a representative or ambassador.

Open 使 →
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