新罕布什尔州 (Xīn Hǎn bù shí ěr zhōu) — New Hampshire (U.S. state)

Definition

noun
New Hampshire (U.S. state)

Examples

  • 新罕布什尔州，。
    Xīn Hǎn bù shí ěr zhōu Wèi yú měi guó dōng běi bù, yǐ měi lì de qiū tiān fēng yè wén míng.
    New Hampshire is located in the northeastern United States and is famous for its beautiful autumn foliage.
  • 新罕布什尔州。
    Tā jì huà nián jiǎ shí qù Xīn Hǎn bù shí ěr zhōu huá xuě.
    He plans to go skiing in New Hampshire during his annual leave.
  • 新罕布什尔州，。
    Xīn Hǎn bù shí ěr zhōu De miàn jī zài měi guó gè zhōu zhōng bú suàn dà, dàn zì rán huán jìng fēi cháng yōu měi.
    New Hampshire's area is not large among U.S. states, but its natural environment is very beautiful.

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.

新罕布什尔New Hampshire
新xīn罕hǎn布bù什shén尔ěr
州zhōustate

新罕布什尔 gives the name, and 州 means state.

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.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn新xīn
Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

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
网网wǎngnet
Sound part声符shēngfú
干
干gān罕hǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

罕 combines 网 (net) as a meaning part with 干 as a sound part.

Open 罕 →

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
巾巾jīnkerchief
Sound part声符shēngfú
父
父fù布bù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

布 pairs 巾, a kerchief, with 父 as a sound part.

Open 布 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 什 →

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 爾; 尔 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 爾, simplified as 尔, originally drew cloth on a loom with crossing threads. It was borrowed for its sound to write “you,” so the picture is unrelated to that meaning.

Open 尔 →

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

州 originally drew an islet in a river.

Open 州 →

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