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核桃 (hé tao) — walnut

Definition

A specific kind of nut (walnut). 坚果 is the general category 'nut'; 瓜子 refers to small edible seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds, usually roasted and salted as a snack.

noun
walnut
Measure word · 个, 棵

Examples

  • 核桃。
    Wǒ chī le sān gè hé tao.
    I ate three walnuts.
  • 核桃。
    Zhè kē hé tao shù yǐ jīng cháng le shí nián.
    This walnut tree has been growing for ten years.
  • 核桃。
    hé tao De yíng yǎng jià zhí hěn gāo.
    Walnuts have high nutritional value.

Origin

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài核hé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

核 pairs 木, a tree, with 亥 to give its sound; it originally named a kind of tree, and its later meanings are borrowed.

Open 核 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
兆
兆zhào桃táo(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

桃 combines 木, meaning tree, with 兆, which gives the sound.

Open 桃 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Food (General)

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