山核桃 (shān hé tao) — hickory (tree and its nut)

Definition

noun

hickory (tree and its nut)

Measure word · 颗

山核桃。
Zhè ge shān hé tao hěn hǎo chī.
This hickory nut is very tasty.
山核桃。
Nà kē shān hé tao shù hěn gāo.
That hickory tree is very tall.
山核桃。
Wǒ zài chāo shì mǎi le yì xiē shān hé tao.
I bought some hickory nuts at the supermarket.

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.

核桃walnut

核héstone桃táopeach-like fruit

偏正Modifier + head

The 山 part means mountain, 核 means stone, and 桃 names a peach-like fruit; together they give a mountain hickory.

Characters in this word

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

山 shows three mountain peaks side by side.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木亥核

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

亥

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

核 pairs 木, a tree, with 亥 to give its sound; it originally named a kind of tree, and its later meanings are borrowed.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木兆桃

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

兆

兆zhào桃táo(r)

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

桃 combines 木, meaning tree, with 兆, which gives the sound.