希伯来 (Xī bó lái) — Hebrew (language); Hebrew (people)

Definition

noun

Hebrew (language)Hebrew (people)

希伯来。
Tā zhèng zài xué xí Xī bó lái yǔ.
He is learning the Hebrew language.
希伯来。
Gǔ dài Xī bó lái rén chuàng zào le dú tè de wén huà.
The ancient Hebrew people created a unique culture.
。
Wǒ duì Xī bó lái wén xué hěn gǎn xìng qù.
I am very interested in Hebrew literature.

Characters in this word

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

希 is made from 爻 and 巾, which means cloth. How those parts connect to “hope” is not explained.

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

人人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

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

伯 pairs 人 (person) with 白, which gives its sound.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Appears in