树杈 (shù chā) — tree fork, fork of a tree | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

tree forkfork of a tree

Measure word · 个

Examples

树杈。
Yì zhī niǎo zhàn zài shù chā shàng.
A bird is standing on the tree fork.
树杈。
Tā pá dào shù chā shàng zhāi píng guǒ.
He climbed onto the tree fork to pick apples.
树杈。
Dà fēng bǎ shù chā chuī duàn le.
The strong wind blew the tree fork off.

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 names the tree and 杈 its forked branch, together meaning a tree fork.

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.

木叉杈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

叉

叉chā杈chā

Same sound today

杈 pairs 木 (tree/wood) with 叉, a part that matches its sound. The 木 side connects it to branches and wooden tools.

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