根号 (gēn háo) — radical sign (math) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

根号 (gēnhào) is the mathematical radical sign (√), used to indicate a root — as in √2 for the square root. The number under the sign is the radicand.

noun

radical sign (math)

Examples

根号。
Jì suàn de shí hou bié wàng le xiě gēn háo.
Don't forget to write the radical sign when calculating.
根号。
Zhè ge gēn háo biǎo shì kāi píng fāng.
This radical sign means taking the square root.
，根号。
Zài fāng chéng zhōng, gēn háo xià miàn de shù bì xū shì fēi fù shù.
In an equation, the number under the radical sign must be non-negative.

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.

"根" (root) and "号" (sign) combine to name the radical sign.

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.

木艮根

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

艮gèn根gēn(r)

Same sound today

根 pairs 木 (tree/wood), pointing to plant roots, with 艮 as a sound part.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

口丂号

口口kǒumouth
丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Appears in

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