感叹号 (gǎn tàn hào) — exclamation mark ( ! )

Definition

noun
exclamation mark ( ! )
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 感叹号。
    Jù zi hòu miàn jiā shàng gǎn tàn hào biǎo shì qiáng liè de gǎn qíng.
    Adding an exclamation mark after a sentence shows strong emotion.
  • 感叹号。
    Xiě wén zhāng shí bú yào làn yòng gǎn tàn hào.
    Don't overuse exclamation marks when writing.
  • 感叹号？
    Nǐ néng bǎ zhè jù huà mò wěi de jù hào gǎi chéng gǎn tàn hào ma?
    Can you change the period at the end of this sentence to an exclamation mark?

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.

感叹exclaim
感gǎnfeel叹tànexclaim
联合Side by side
号hàomark

“感” (feel) and “叹” (exclaim) form the idea of exclamation, and “号” marks it.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
咸
咸xián感gǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

感 pairs 咸, which gives the sound, with 心, the heart, for feeling.

Open 感 →

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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