壮实 (zhuàng shí) — sturdy, robust (of a person or animal's physique)

Definition

adjective
sturdyrobust (of a person or animal's physique)

Examples

  • 壮实。
    Zhè ge xiǎo huǒ zi shēn tǐ hěn zhuàng shí.
    This young man has a very sturdy physique.
  • 壮实。
    Tā yǎng le yì tóu zhuàng shí de niú.
    He raised a sturdy ox.
  • 壮实。
    Nà xiē shù cháng dé yòu gāo yòu zhuàng shí.
    Those trees grow tall and robust.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

壮zhuàngstrong
实shísolid

壮 means strong and 实 means solid; together they describe a sturdy, robust body.

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 壯; 壮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
士士shì
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán壯zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壯 uses 士 to hint at the meaning and 爿 for the sound; the simplified 壮 is a later abbreviation.

Open 壮 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 實; 实 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánroof
  • 周周zhōucarved jade
  • 貝貝bèishellfish; cowrie

The traditional form 實 has 宀 'roof' above 周 'carved jade' and 貝 'cowrie'; the simplified 实 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 实 →

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