柿 (shì) — persimmon
Definition
柿 (shì) is a bound form used mainly in 柿子 shìzi 'persimmon'. It does not stand alone in modern Chinese.
bound form
persimmon
Examples
- ，。Wǒ mǎi le liǎng gè shì zi, yòu tián yòu ruǎn.I bought two persimmons, both sweet and soft.
- 。Qiū tiān shì chī shì zi de hǎo jì jié.Autumn is a good season to eat persimmons.
- ，。Zhè zhǒng shì zi fēi cháng yǒu míng, hěn duō rén xǐ huan.This kind of persimmon is very famous, and many people like it.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂔
𠂔𠂔柿shì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
柿 pairs 木, a tree, with a sound component; the older form 柹 used 𠂔, while the current form uses 市.
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