小豆 (xiǎo dòu) — red bean (adzuki bean, commonly used in sweet f…

Definition

noun

red bean (adzuki bean, commonly used in sweet fillings)

Measure word · 颗

小豆。
Zhè zhǒng xiǎo dòu kě yǐ yòng lái zuò dòu shā.
This kind of red bean can be used to make bean paste.
小豆。
Wǒ zài chāo shì mǎi le yí dài xiǎo dòu.
I bought a bag of red beans at the supermarket.
小豆。
xiǎo dòu De yíng yǎng jià zhí hěn gāo.
Red beans have high nutritional value.

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.

小 names the bean's smaller size; with 豆 it refers to the red bean used in sweet fillings.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

豆 originally drew some kind of container. It was borrowed for its sound to write the plant name, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.