借书证 (jiè shū zhèng) — library card

Definition

noun
library card
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 借书证。
    Qǐng chū shì nín de jiè shū zhèng.
    Please show your library card.
  • 借书证，。
    Wǒ de jiè shū zhèng dào qī le, xū yào chóng xīn bàn lǐ.
    My library card expired, I need to get a new one.
  • 借书证。
    Tā yòng jiè shū zhèng jiè le wǔ běn shū.
    He borrowed five books with his library card.

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.

借书borrow books
借jièborrow书shūbook
动宾Verb + object
证zhèngcertificate/card

借书 means borrowing books, and 证 is a card; the whole word names a card for borrowing books.

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
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
昔
昔xī借jiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

借 combines 人, a person, with 昔, which shows the sound.

Open 借 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
登
登dēng證zhèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.

Open 证 →

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