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圣母院 (shèng mǔ yuàn) — Notre Dame (cathedral)

Definition

noun
Notre Dame (cathedral)
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 圣母院。
    Qù nián wǒ qù bā lí cān guān le shèng mǔ yuàn.
    Last year I went to Paris and visited Notre Dame.
  • 圣母院。
    shèng mǔ yuàn De jiàn zhù fēng gé fēi cháng dú tè.
    The architectural style of Notre Dame is very unique.
  • 《圣母院》。
    Diàn yǐng 《shèng mǔ yuàn》 jiǎng shù le yí gè gǎn rén de gù shi.
    The movie "Notre Dame" tells a touching story.

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.

圣母holy mother
圣shèngholy母mǔmother
偏正Modifier + head
院yuàninstitution

圣 (holy) and 母 (mother) give the Holy Mother, and 院 names the institution, matching the dedication of Notre Dame.

Characters in this word

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 聖; 圣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
呈
呈chéng聖shèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 聖 puts 耳 (ear) beside 呈, which gives the sound; the simplified 圣 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 圣 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 母 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →
Appears in
Landmarks & AttractionsReligion & Belief

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