TongTong
Sign in

复数 (fù shù) — (linguistics) plural (form indicating more than one); (mathematics) complex number

Definition

Two unrelated senses share this word: in linguistics it means 'plural' (e.g. 复数形式 'plural form'); in mathematics it means 'complex number'. Context makes which is meant clear.

noun
(linguistics) plural (form indicating more than one)(mathematics) complex number

Examples

  • 复数，""复数。
    Hàn yǔ de míng cí běn shēn méi yǒu fù shù biàn huà, tōng cháng yòng " men " biǎo shì fù shù.
    Chinese nouns themselves don't have plural changes; usually "men" is used to indicate plurality.
  • 复数。
    Lǎo shī zài hēi bǎn shàng xiě xià le yí gè fù shù gōng shì.
    The teacher wrote a complex number formula on the blackboard.
  • 复数3，2。
    Zhè ge fù shù de shí bù shì 3, xū bù shì 2.
    The real part of this complex number is 3 and the imaginary part is 2.

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.

复fùmultiple
数shùnumber

复 carries the sense of multiple or complex, and 数 means number, so it names a plural form or a complex number.

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 復; 复 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 复 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (复习, 恢复) it is 復; in others (复印, 复杂) (答复, 反复) it is 複 or 覆.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chìwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
复
复fù復fù
Same sound today

The traditional form 復 combines 彳, a walking part, with 复, a sound part, to show walking back and forth.

Open 复 →

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 數; 数 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
婁
婁lóu數shù(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 數 pairs 攴, the meaning part, with 婁, the sound part; the simplified 数 is a shorthand.

Open 数 →
Appears in
LanguageMath

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.