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头盖骨 (tóu gài gǔ) — skull

Definition

noun
skull
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 头盖骨，。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le bìng rén de tóu gài gǔ, méi yǒu fā xiàn yì cháng.
    The doctor examined the patient's skull and found no abnormalities.
  • 头盖骨。
    Kǎo gǔ xué jiā zài yí zhǐ lǐ zhǎo dào le yí gè wán zhěng de tóu gài gǔ.
    Archaeologists found a complete skull at the site.
  • 头盖骨。
    Zhè ge tóu gài gǔ de hòu dù bǐ xiàn dài rén gèng hòu.
    This skull is thicker than that of modern humans.

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.

头盖head cover
头tóuhead盖gàicover
偏正Modifier + head
骨gǔbone

Head and cover together describe the bone that caps the head.

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 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →

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 蓋; 盖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé蓋gài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 蓋 pairs 艸, grass, with 盍 for sound. It was a thatch, and it took on cover meanings after 盍 was borrowed for “why not”.

Open 盖 →

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
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
冎
冎guǎ骨gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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