来源 (lái yuán) — (noun) source, origin; (verb) to originate from… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

来源 works as both noun ('source/origin') and verb ('originate from'). Compared with 起源 and 根源, it emphasizes the concrete source of something (a river, a rumor, a tradition) rather than an abstract root cause.

noun

sourceorigin

verb

to originate fromto come from

Examples

来源。
Zhè tiáo hé de lái yuán zài shān shàng.
The source of this river is in the mountains.
来源？
Nǐ zhī dào zhè ge xìn xī de lái yuán ma?
Do you know the source of this information?
。
Zhè ge chuán tǒng lái yuán yú gǔ dài.
This tradition originates from ancient times.

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.

“来” tells where something comes, and “源” is the source, giving origin or source.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

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

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

原

原yuán源yuán

Same sound today

源 combines 水 (water) and 原 (origin): 水 points to water, and 原 gives the sound.

Appears in

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