抹香鲸 (mǒ xiāng jīng) — sperm whale

Definition

noun
sperm whale
Measure word · 头

Examples

  • 抹香鲸。
    Wǒ zài hǎi yáng guǎn kàn dào le yì tóu mǒ xiāng jīng.
    I saw a sperm whale at the aquarium.
  • 抹香鲸。
    mǒ xiāng jīng Shì shì jiè shàng zuì dà de chǐ jīng.
    The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale in the world.
  • 抹香鲸。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū mǒ xiāng jīng de qiān xǐ lù xiàn.
    Scientists are studying the migration routes of sperm whales.

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.

抹香smear fragrance
抹mǒsmear香xiāngfragrance
动宾Verb + object
鲸jīngwhale

The characters 抹, 香, and 鲸 describe a whale associated with fragrant oil, giving sperm whale.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
末
末mò抹mǒ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand component 手, showing an action done with the hand; the right part 末 gives the pronunciation.

Open 抹 →

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

香's early form paired 黍 (glutinous millet) with 口 (mouth), perhaps showing millet drink being taken in or offered.

Open 香 →

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 鯨; 鲸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
魚魚yúfish
Sound part声符shēngfú
京
京jīng鯨jīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 鯨 pairs 魚 (fish) with 京 for the sound; the simplified 鲸 keeps that same 京 sound part.

Open 鲸 →

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