法兰西共和国 (fǎ lán xī gòng hé guó) — French Republic, France

Definition

noun
French RepublicFrance

Examples

  • 法兰西共和国、。
    fǎ lán xī gòng hé guó Shì yí gè lì shǐ yōu jiǔ, wén huà fēng fù de guó jiā.
    The French Republic is a country with a long history and rich culture.
  • 法兰西共和国。
    Wǒ jì huà míng nián qù fǎ lán xī gòng hé guó xué xí fǎ yǔ.
    I plan to go to France next year to study French.
  • 法兰西共和国，。
    fǎ lán xī gòng hé guó De shǒu dū shì bā lí, yǐ yì shù hé měi shí wén míng.
    The capital of the French Republic is Paris, famous for its art and cuisine.

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.

法兰西France
法fǎ兰lán西xī
共和国republic
共gòngshared和héharmony国guóstate
偏正Modifier + head

法兰西 names France, while 共和 means shared harmony and 国 a state; together they form the official name 'French Republic'.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
廌廌zhìa type of antelope or caprid
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé法fǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

Open 法 →

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 蘭; 兰 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎoplant
Sound part声符shēngfú
闌
闌lán蘭lán
Same sound today

In the traditional form 蘭, 艹 marks it as a plant and 闌 stands for the sound; the simplified 兰 is a later shorthand, not the original parts.

Open 兰 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 西 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 廾廾gǒngtwo hands
  • 口口kǒuan object

共 shows 廾, two hands, holding up an object. That object was written 口 and later became the 廿-like top.

Open 共 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé和hé
Same sound today

和 pairs 禾, which gives the sound, with 口 (mouth), the meaning part; the reference connects this shape to harmony.

Open 和 →

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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