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字条 (zì tiáo) — brief note (handwritten)

Definition

noun
brief note (handwritten)
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 字条，。
    Tā gěi wǒ liú le yì zhāng zì tiáo, shuō xià wǔ huí lái.
    She left me a note saying she'd be back in the afternoon.
  • 字条？
    Zhuō shàng de zì tiáo shì shuí xiě de?
    Who wrote the note on the desk?
  • 字条。
    Tā zǒu zhī qián cōng cōng xiě le yì zhāng zì tiáo.
    He hastily wrote a note before leaving.

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.

字zìwriting
条tiáostrip

字 is writing and 条 is a strip; together they name a strip of writing, a brief note.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
子
子zǐ字zì
Same sound today

字 pairs 宀 (roof) with 子 (child); 子 gives the sound, while 宀 relates to the meaning.

Open 字 →

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 條; 条 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu條tiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 條 pairs 木, a small branch or stick, with 攸, which shows a person warned by a hand holding a stick, as a sound part; 条 is a later shortened shape.

Open 条 →
Appears in
Reading & Writing

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