枫叶 (fēng yè) — maple leaf; leaves of the maple tree (or Chines… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

maple leafleaves of the maple tree (or Chinese sweet gum)

Measure word · 片

Examples

，枫叶。
Qiū tiān dào le, fēng yè màn màn biàn hóng le.
Autumn has arrived, and the maple leaves are slowly turning red.
枫叶。
Wǒ xǐ huan bǎ fēng yè jiá zài shū lǐ dāng shū qiān.
I like to put maple leaves in books as bookmarks.
枫叶。
Xiāng shān de fēng yè měi nián dōu xī yǐn hěn duō yóu kè.
The maple leaves at Fragrant Hills attract many tourists every year.

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.

“枫” (maple) and “叶” (leaf) combine to mean a leaf of the maple tree.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 楓; 枫 is its simplified writing.

木風楓

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

風

風fēng楓fēng

Same sound today

The traditional form 楓 pairs 木 (tree) with 風 as its sound part; the simplified 枫 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.

口十叶

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

十

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 叶 pairs 口 (mouth) with 十 (ten) as an old form meaning cooperate; it later came to mean leaf because it sounded similar.

Appears in

Plants & Flowers

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