印度教 (Yìn dù jiào) — Hinduism | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

Hinduism

印度教。
Tā zài dà xué lǐ xué xí le Yìn dù jiào de lì shǐ hé wén huà.
He studied the history and culture of Hinduism at university.
印度教。
Yìn dù jiào Shì yìn dù zuì zhǔ yào de zōng jiào zhī yī.
Hinduism is one of the most important religions in India.
印度教。
Xǔ duō Yìn dù jiào sì miào lǐ yǒu jīng měi de diāo sù.
Many Hindu temples have exquisite sculptures.

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.

印度India

印度 names India and 教 means religion, so 印度教 denotes the religion associated with India.

Characters in this word

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

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

石

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

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

子子zǐchild

攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority

Sound part声符shēngfú

爻

爻yáo教jiào

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

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