口信 (kǒu xìn) — oral message | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A short verbal message passed through a person rather than written or sent by phone — emphasize it is delivered in person by word of mouth.

noun

oral message

Measure word · 个

Examples

口信。
Tā ràng wǒ gěi nǐ dài gè kǒu xìn.
He asked me to bring you an oral message.
。
Wǒ zuó tiān shōu dào le tā de yì fēng kǒu xìn.
I received a verbal message from him yesterday.
口信。
Qǐng bāng wǒ chuán gè kǒu xìn gěi tā.
Please pass along an oral message to him for me.

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.

信xìnmessage

The mouth 口 with 信 message names a spoken message.

Characters in this word

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

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.

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

言言yánwords

Sound part声符shēngfú

人

人rén信xìn

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

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Appears in

Mail & Messaging

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