树叶 (shù yè) — leaves (of trees) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

leaves (of trees)

Measure word · 片

Examples

，树叶。
Qiū tiān dào le, shù yè màn màn dì biàn huáng le.
Autumn has arrived, and the leaves are slowly turning yellow.
，树叶。
Fēng chuī guò, shù yè shā shā zuò xiǎng.
The wind blew, and the leaves rustled.
树叶，。
Dì shàng luò mǎn le shù yè, cǎi shàng qù hěn ruǎn.
The ground is covered with fallen leaves, and it feels soft to step on.

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.

“树” gives tree and “叶” gives leaf, together meaning tree leaves.

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 樹; 树 is its simplified writing.

木尌樹

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

尌

尌shù樹shù

Same sound today

Originally 尌, 'to plant a tree', was written alone; the traditional form 樹 adds 木, 'tree', to it to differentiate.

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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