正方形 (zhèng fāng xíng) — square (shape) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

square (shape)

Measure word · 个

Examples

正方形。
Zhè ge zhuō zi de zhuō miàn shì yí gè zhèng fāng xíng.
The top of this table is a square.
正方形。
Huà yí gè zhèng fāng xíng bǐ huà yuán róng yì.
Drawing a square is easier than drawing a circle.
，正方形。
Zhè ge fáng jiān de miàn jī shì èr shí píng fāng mǐ, xíng zhuàng shì zhèng fāng xíng.
This room has an area of twenty square meters and is square in shape.

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.

正方square

正zhèngregular方fāngsquare

偏正Modifier + head

正 regular or straight, 方 square, and 形 shape combine as a regular square shape.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

丁dīng正zhèng

Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

彡彡shān

Sound part声符shēngfú

井

井jǐng形xíng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

形 is made from 彡 and 井, with 井 providing the sound.

Appears in

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