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期刊 (qī kān) — periodical; journal

Definition

noun
periodicaljournal
Measure word · 本

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè běn qī kān měi yuè chū bǎn yī qī.
    This periodical is published once a month.
  • 期刊。
    Tā dìng le sān fèn bù tóng de qī kān.
    He subscribed to three different periodicals.
  • 期刊。
    Tú shū guǎn shōu cáng le hěn duō xué shù qī kān.
    The library has a large collection of academic journals.

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.

期qīperiod
刊kānpublication

期 “period” tells how often 刊 “publication” appears, giving a periodical.

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
其
其qí期qī
Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Open 期 →

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
干
干gān刊kān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

刊 uses 干 to show its sound and 刀, a knife, to show its meaning.

Open 刊 →
Appears in
Media & NewsReading & Writing

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