榕树 (róng shù) — banyan tree; small-fruited fig (Ficus microcarpa)

Definition

noun
banyan treesmall-fruited fig (Ficus microcarpa)
Measure word · 棵

Examples

  • 榕树。
    Nà biān yǒu yì kē dà róng shù.
    There is a big banyan tree over there.
  • 榕树，。
    róng shù De yè zi hěn duō, xià tiān hěn shū fu.
    The banyan tree has many leaves, and it's comfortable in summer.
  • 榕树。
    Zhè kē róng shù yǐ jīng hěn lǎo le.
    This banyan tree is already very old.

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.

榕róngbanyan
树shùtree

榕 gives banyan and 树 gives tree, so the word names a banyan tree.

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mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
容
容róng榕⁰róng
Same sound today

榕 combines 木 (tree) and 容, which supplies the sound; the tree part marks it as a tree.

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 樹; 树 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
尌
尌shù樹shù
Same sound today

Originally 尌, 'to plant a tree', was written alone; the traditional form 樹 adds 木, 'tree', to it to differentiate.

Open 树 →

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