柑桔 (gān jié) — citrus fruits (especially mandarin oranges and…

Definition

noun

citrus fruits (especially mandarin oranges and tangerines)

Measure word · 个

柑桔。
Wǒ měi nián dōng tiān dōu huì mǎi hěn duō gān jié.
I buy a lot of citrus fruits every winter.
柑桔C。
Zhè zhǒng gān jié de wéi shēng sù C hán liàng hěn gāo.
This kind of citrus fruit has a high vitamin C content.
柑桔，。
Nán fāng dì qū shèng chǎn gān jié, pǐn zhǒng fēi cháng fēng fù.
The southern region is rich in citrus fruits, with a great variety of species.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

柑gānmandarin orange

桔jútangerine

柑 and 桔 are both citrus fruits, so together they name citrus fruits generally.

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.

木甘柑

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood; tree

Sound part声符shēngfú

甘

Same sound today

柑 is made of 木 (wood; tree) and 甘 (gān), with 甘 providing the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木吉桔

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

吉

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

桔 is built from 木, meaning wood, and 吉, which supplies the sound.