卢 (lú) — gourd (in compounds such as 葫芦, though 芦 is more common); surname Lu
Definition
In modern Chinese 卢 is almost always a surname (Lú); the 'gourd' sense survives only in the fixed word 葫芦 húlu, where it is written but not pronounced on its own.
bound form
gourd (in compounds such as 葫芦, though 芦 is more common)surname Lu
Examples
- 。É luó sī de huò bì shì lú bù.Russia's currency is the ruble.
- 。Yìn dù de huò bì shì lú bǐ.India's currency is the rupee.
- 。Fǎ guó bā lí de lú fú gōng hěn yǒu míng.The Louvre in Paris, France, is very famous.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 盧; 卢 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
虍
虍hū盧lú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 盧 began as a picture of an oven, later written 田, with 皿 (a vessel) and 虍 (for sound) added; simplified 卢 is a shorthand.
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