创刊号 (chuàng kān hào) — first issue (of a publication)

Definition

noun
first issue (of a publication)
Measure word · 期

Examples

  • 创刊号。
    Zhè běn zá zhì de chuàng kān hào fā xíng yú qù nián sān yuè.
    The first issue of this magazine was published last March.
  • 创刊号。
    Tā shōu cáng le zhè fèn bào zhǐ de suǒ yǒu chuàng kān hào.
    He collected all the first issues of this newspaper.
  • 创刊号。
    chuàng kān hào De fēng miàn shè jì wǎng wǎng zuì yòng xīn.
    The cover design of the first issue is often the most carefully done.

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.

创刊found a publication
创chuàngfound刊kānpublication
动宾Verb + object
号hàoissue

创刊号 is the 号 that marks a publication's 创刊, the first issue.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 創; 创 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng創chuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 創 pairs 倉 with 刀 (knife) to write 'wound', and 倉 gives the pronunciation. The simplified 创 is a later shorthand.

Open 创 →

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
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
干
干gān刊kān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

刊 uses 干 to show its sound and 刀, a knife, to show its meaning.

Open 刊 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 口口kǒumouth
  • 丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Open 号 →

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