加元 (jiā yuán) — (noun) Canadian dollar (the official currency of Canada)

Definition

The official currency name 'Canadian dollar.' Despite the row's classifier label, it functions as a noun referring to money and is used in 量词 phrases like 一加元.

noun
Canadian dollar (the official currency of Canada)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 加元？
    Jīn tiān yì jiā yuán duì huàn duō shǎo rén mín bì?
    How many Chinese yuan does one Canadian dollar exchange for today?
  • 加元。
    Wǒ yòng yì bǎi jiā yuán mǎi le yí jiàn yī fu.
    I used one hundred Canadian dollars to buy a piece of clothing.
  • ，加元。
    Tā zài jiā ná dà gōng zuò, gōng zī shì àn jiā yuán jì suàn de.
    He works in Canada, and his salary is calculated in Canadian dollars.

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.

加jiāCanada
元yuándollar

加 stands for Canada and 元 for the dollar, together naming the Canadian currency.

Characters in this word

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

加 pairs 力 and 口. In one explanation 力 is strength and 口 is the mouth, meaning exaggeration; in another 力 is plowing effort and 口 is breath or exclamation, meaning extra effort.

Open 加 →

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

The shape 元 shows a figure with two lines for a head, one connected to the body and one above it, emphasizing the head.

Open 元 →

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