橄榄树 (gǎn lǎn shù) — olive tree

Definition

noun
olive tree
Measure word · 棵

Examples

  • 橄榄树。
    Wǒ jiā yuàn zi lǐ yǒu yì kē gǎn lǎn shù.
    There is an olive tree in my yard.
  • 橄榄树。
    Zhè kē gǎn lǎn shù yǐ jīng cháng dé hěn gāo le.
    This olive tree has grown very tall.
  • 橄榄树。
    Tā xǐ huan zài gǎn lǎn shù xià kàn shū.
    He likes to read under the olive tree.

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.

橄榄
橄gǎn榄lǎn
树shùtree

橄榄 names the olive, and 树 makes it a 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mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
敢
敢gǎn橄
Same sound today

橄 uses 木 to point to a tree and 敢 to give 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 欖; 榄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
覽
覽lǎn欖lǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 欖 has 木 (tree) beside 覽, which gives the sound; the simplified 榄 is a later shorthand.

Open 榄 →

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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