惊叹号 (jīng tàn hào) — exclamation mark

Definition

noun
exclamation mark
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 惊叹号。
    Zhè ge jù zi hòu miàn yīng gāi jiā yí gè jīng tàn hào.
    An exclamation mark should be added at the end of this sentence.
  • 惊叹号惊叹号。
    Zhōng wén de jīng tàn hào hé yīng wén de jīng tàn hào kàn qǐ lái yí yàng.
    The Chinese exclamation mark and the English exclamation mark look the same.
  • 惊叹号，。
    Tā zài wén zhāng lǐ yòng le hěn duō jīng tàn hào, biǎo shì tā hěn jī dòng.
    He used many exclamation marks in his article, showing that he was very excited.

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.

惊叹exclaim in surprise
惊jīngsurprise叹tànexclaim
偏正Modifier + head
号hàomark

惊叹 means 'exclaim in surprise' and 号 means 'mark', so together they mean 'exclamation mark'.

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
京
京jīng惊jīng
Same sound today

惊 is made from 忄 (heart) and 京, which gives the sound.

Open 惊 →

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 嘆; 叹 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 叹 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 嘆; in others it is 歎.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
歎
歎tàn嘆tàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 嘆 pairs 口 (mouth) with 歎 as the sound part; it shows a mouth letting out a sigh.

Open 叹 →

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

  • 口口kǒumouth
  • 丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Open 号 →

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