姚 (yáo) — Yao (surname)

Definition

noun
Yao (surname)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 姚。
    yáo Xiān sheng shì wǒ de lǎo bǎn.
    Mr. Yao is my boss.
  • 姚。
    yáo Shì yí gè cháng jiàn de zhōng guó xìng shì.
    Yao is a common Chinese surname.
  • 姚？
    Nǐ rèn shi yáo lǎo shī ma?
    Do you know Teacher Yao?

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
女女nǚ
Sound part声符shēngfú
兆
兆zhào姚Yáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

姚 is made of 女 (woman) and 兆, which gives its sound.

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