坐椅 (zuò yǐ) — seat; chair

Definition

noun
seatchair
Measure word · 把
Easily confused

Examples

  • 坐椅，。
    Zhè zhāng zuò yǐ hěn shū fu, shì hé cháng shí jiān gōng zuò.
    This chair is very comfortable and suitable for long periods of work.
  • 坐椅。
    Huì yì shì lǐ bǎi le èr shí bǎ zuò yǐ.
    Twenty chairs were placed in the meeting room.
  • 坐椅。
    Qǐng bǎ zuò yǐ wǎng qián nuó yi nuó.
    Please move the seat forward a bit.

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
椅yǐchair

A 椅 ('chair') for 坐 ('sitting') is a seat.

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
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
奇
奇qí椅yǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

椅 combines 木 (wood) with 奇, which gives its sound.

Open 椅 →

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