() — (bound form) chair (used in compounds like 椅子, 轮椅)

Definition

椅 is a bound morpheme meaning 'chair' — it never stands alone; learners meet it in 椅子 (chair) and 轮椅 (wheelchair).

bound form
chair (used in compounds like 椅子, 轮椅)

Examples

  • Qǐng bǎ yī zi bān jìn lái.
    Please bring the chair inside.
  • Yé ye měi tiān dōu zuò lún yī.
    Grandpa sits in a wheelchair every day.
  • Zhè zhāng yī zi hěn shū fu.
    This chair is very comfortable.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

椅 combines 木 (wood) with 奇, which gives its sound.

Appears in

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