桥 (qiáo) — bridge
Definition
桥 (qiáo) is the everyday word for a physical 'bridge' you cross on foot or by car. Compared with 桥梁, 桥 is the concrete structure; 桥梁 is more formal and also used figuratively for something that connects two sides.
noun
bridge
Measure word · 座
Easily confused
Examples
- 桥。Hé shàng yǒu yí zuò qiáo.There is a bridge over the river.
- 桥。Wǒ men guò qiáo ba.Let's cross the bridge.
- 桥。Zhè zuò qiáo hěn cháng.This bridge is very long.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 橋; 桥 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
喬
喬qiáo橋qiáo
Same sound today
The traditional form 橋 pairs 木 (wood) with 喬 (qiáo), which gave the character its sound; the simplified 桥 is a later abbreviation.
Appears in
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