打火石 (dǎ huǒ shí) — flint (stone used to create sparks)

Definition

noun

flint (stone used to create sparks)

Measure word · 块

打火石。
Tā yòng dǎ huǒ shí diǎn rán le gōu huǒ.
He used flint to light the campfire.
打火石。
Gǔ rén cháng yòng dǎ huǒ shí qǔ huǒ.
Ancient people often used flint to make fire.
打火石，。
Zhè kuài dǎ huǒ shí hěn yìng, qiāo jī shí huǒ xīng hěn duō.
This piece of flint is very hard, and produces many sparks when struck.

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.

打火strike fire

动宾Verb + object

The 打火 (strike fire) action describes the 石 (stone).

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.

扌丁打

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

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

打 uses 扌, a hand, to show an action done with the hand, and 丁 to give the sound.

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

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

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

The shape of 石 shows a stone under a cliff-like overhang, or a cave set into a cliff side.

Appears in