晚钟 (wǎn zhōng) — evening bell (rung at dusk, especially in Buddhist temples)

Definition

晚钟 specifically refers to the bell rung at dusk in Buddhist temples to mark the end of the day, carrying a literary, contemplative tone. It is not a generic 'evening bell' in everyday use.

noun
evening bell (rung at dusk, especially in Buddhist temples)
Measure word · 阵

Examples

  • 晚钟。
    Shān gǔ lǐ huí dàng zhe wǎn zhōng de shēng yīn.
    The sound of the evening bell echoed through the valley.
  • ，晚钟。
    Měi tiān huáng hūn shí fēn, sì yuàn de wǎn zhōng dōu huì xiǎng qǐ.
    Every day at dusk, the temple's evening bell rings.
  • 晚钟。
    wǎn zhōng De shēng yīn tí xǐng rén men shí guāng liú shì.
    The sound of the evening bell reminds people of the passage of time.

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.

晚wǎnevening
钟zhōngbell

晚 refers to evening, and 钟 is a bell, so the word names an evening bell.

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
免
免miǎn晚wǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

晚 pairs 日, the sun part, with 免, which supplies the sound.

Open 晚 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 钟 →

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