年轮 (nián lún) — annual ring; growth ring

Definition

noun

annual ringgrowth ring

Measure word · 道

年轮。
Kē xué jiā tōng guò guān chá nián lún lái liǎo jiě shù mù de nián líng.
Scientists learn the age of trees by observing their growth rings.
年轮。
nián lún De kuān dù kě yǐ fǎn yìng dāng nián de jiàng yǔ liàng.
The width of the growth rings can reflect the rainfall of that year.
年轮。
Zhè kuài mù tou de nián lún fēi cháng míng xiǎn.
The growth rings on this piece of wood are very distinct.

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.

年 means year, and 轮 refers to a ring or circle; the sense is a yearly growth ring.

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

禾禾héwheat; grain

Sound part声符shēngfú

人

人rén年nián

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

年 pairs 禾 (grain) with 人, which gives the sound. Its original meaning was harvest, and it later came to mean a year.

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 輪; 轮 is its simplified writing.

車侖輪

Meaning part形符xíngfú

車車jūcarriage

Sound part声符shēngfú

侖

侖lún輪lún

Same sound today

The traditional form 輪 uses 車, a carriage, and 侖 for the sound; the simplified 轮 is a later shorthand.

Appears in