指印 (zhǐ yìn) — fingerprint | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

fingerprint

Measure word · 个

Examples

指印。
Zài àn fā xiàn chǎng fā xiàn le tā de zhǐ yìn.
They found his fingerprint at the crime scene.
指印。
Yòng zhǐ yìn kāi shǒu jī hěn fāng biàn.
It's very convenient to unlock your phone with a fingerprint.
指印。
Měi gè rén de zhǐ yìn dōu shì dú yī wú èr de.
Everyone's fingerprint is unique.

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.

指 means finger and 印 means mark, so the word names the mark left by a finger.

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.

扌旨指

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

旨

旨zhǐ指zhǐ

Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

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

爪爪zhuǎhand
卩卩jiékneeling person

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

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