枯叶 (kū yè) — dried leaves; withered leaves | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

dried leaveswithered leaves

Measure word · 片

Examples

，枯叶。
Qiū tiān dào le, shù shàng luò mǎn le kū yè.
Autumn has arrived; the ground is covered with withered leaves.
，枯叶。
Yí zhèn fēng chuī lái, kū yè suí fēng piāo wǔ.
A gust of wind came, and the dried leaves danced in the air.
枯叶，。
Tā zài lù biān jiǎn qǐ yí piàn kū yè, zǐ xì duān xiáng zhe.
He picked up a withered leaf by the roadside and examined it closely.

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.

枯kūwithered

A 枯 (withered) 叶 (leaf) is a dried or withered leaf.

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.

木古枯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

古

古gǔ枯kū

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

枯 pairs 木 (tree) with 古, which gives the sound.

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.

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