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常青藤 (cháng qīng téng) — ivy (the climbing plant); (fig., also 常春藤) Ivy League (elite universities)

Definition

noun
ivy (the climbing plant)(fig., also 常春藤) Ivy League (elite universities)
Measure word · 棵

Examples

  • 常青藤，。
    Zhè miàn qiáng shàng pá mǎn le cháng qīng téng, kàn qǐ lái hěn piào liang.
    This wall is covered with ivy, and it looks very beautiful.
  • 常青藤。
    Tā bì yè yú měi guó de yì suǒ cháng qīng téng dà xué.
    He graduated from an Ivy League university in the United States.
  • 常青藤。
    Dú cháng qīng téng shì hěn duō xué shēng de mèng xiǎng.
    Attending an Ivy League school is the dream of many students.

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.

常青evergreen
常chángever青qīnggreen
偏正Modifier + head
藤téngvine

常青 describes staying green, and 藤 is a vine, giving an evergreen climbing plant.

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
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng常cháng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

Open 常 →

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

An early form of 青 combined 生 and 井, both used for sound; the modern form has changed.

Open 青 →

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
滕
滕téng藤téng
Same sound today

藤 combines 艸 (grass) and 滕, which gives the sound, to write a type of plant.

Open 藤 →
Appears in
Plants & FlowersSchool & Education

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