指甲剪 (zhǐ jia jiǎn) — nail clipper

Definition

noun
nail clipper
Measure word · 把

Examples

  • 指甲剪。
    Wǒ yòng zhǐ jia jiǎn jiǎn zhǐ jia.
    I use nail clippers to trim my nails.
  • 指甲剪。
    Zhè ge zhǐ jia jiǎn hěn hǎo yòng.
    This nail clipper is very easy to use.
  • 指甲剪。
    Wǒ mǎi le yí gè xīn de zhǐ jia jiǎn.
    I bought a new nail clipper.

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.

指甲fingernail
指zhǐfinger甲jiǎnail
偏正Modifier + head
剪jiǎnclipper

A 剪 (cutting tool) meant for 指甲 (fingernails).

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
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

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

Open 指 →

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

甲 is drawn as a hard protective shell, carapace, or scales of an animal, or as armor made of connected plates.

Open 甲 →

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
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
歬
歬qián剪jiǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 剪, 刀 is the knife part and 歬 gives the sound. After 前 came to replace 歬, another 刀 was added to 剪.

Open 剪 →

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