植物学 (zhí wù xué) — botany | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

botany

Examples

植物学，。
Tā dà xué zhǔ xiū zhí wù xué, duì zhí wù fēn lèi tè bié gǎn xìng qù.
He majored in botany in college and is especially interested in plant classification.
植物学、。
zhí wù xué Yán jiū zhí wù de jié gòu, gōng néng hé yǎn huà.
Botany studies the structure, function, and evolution of plants.
植物学。
Zhè běn zhí wù xué jiào kē shū nèi róng fēi cháng quán miàn.
This botany textbook has very comprehensive content.

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.

植物plant

植zhígrow物wùthing

偏正Modifier + head

植物 names plants and 学 names the study of them, together meaning botany.

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.

木直植

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

直

直zhí植zhí

Same sound today

植 is made from 木, a tree, and 直, which gives the sound.

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

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

勿wù物wù

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

爻爻yáo
六六liù

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Appears in

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