木琴 (mù qín) — xylophone

Definition

noun
xylophone
Measure word · 架

Examples

  • 木琴。
    Tā xǐ huan qiāo mù qín.
    She likes to play the xylophone.
  • 木琴。
    Zhè ge mù qín shì yòng mù tou zuò de.
    This xylophone is made of wood.
  • 木琴。
    Tā men mǎi le yí gè xīn de mù qín.
    They bought a new xylophone.

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.

木mùwood
琴qíninstrument

A 琴 (instrument) made of 木 (wood), hence xylophone.

Characters in this word

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

木 is drawn as a tree, with branches above and roots below.

Open 木 →

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
珡珡qín
Sound part声符shēngfú
今
今jīn琴qín
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

琴 pairs 珡, the part tied to its sense as a stringed instrument, with 今, which gives the sound.

Open 琴 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.