厦 (shà) — abbreviation for Xiamen (Amoy), a city in Fujian province

Definition

noun
abbreviation for Xiamen (Amoy)a city in Fujian province
Easily confused

Examples

  • 厦。
    Wǒ kǎo shàng le shà dà.
    I got into Xiamen University.
  • 厦。
    shà Háng de háng bān hěn zhǔn shí.
    Xiamen Airlines' flights are very punctual.
  • 。
    shà Mén shì fú jiàn de yí gè chéng shì.
    Xiamen is a city in Fujian.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 廈; 厦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
夏
夏xià廈shà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 廈 pairs 广, which contributes the building sense, with 夏, which gives the sound and also means 'great'; the simplified 厦 is a later shorthand.

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