坐位 (zuò wèi) — seat

Definition

noun
seat
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 坐位。
    Qǐng gěi wǒ yí gè zuò wèi.
    Please give me a seat.
  • 坐位？
    Zhè ge zuò wèi yǒu rén ma?
    Is this seat taken?
  • 坐位。
    Wǒ zài huǒ chē shàng zhǎo dào le yí gè kào chuāng de zuò wèi.
    I found a window seat on the train.

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.

坐zuòsit
位wèiposition

'坐' (to sit) and '位' (place) together give a place to sit.

Characters in this word

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

The form 坐 combines 留, 'to stay', and 土, 'ground'.

Open 坐 →

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
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì位wèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

位 combines 人 (man), related to people, with 立, which gives the sound. It was often simply written as 立.

Open 位 →

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