海鲜 (hǎi xiān) — seafood | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

seafood

Measure word · 份

海鲜。
Wǒ zuó tiān qù chāo shì mǎi le hǎi xiān.
I went to the supermarket yesterday and bought seafood.
海鲜。
Zhè ge chéng shì de hǎi xiān hěn yǒu míng.
The seafood in this city is very famous.
海鲜。
Mā ma zuò de hǎi xiān hěn hǎo chī.
The seafood my mom cooks is very tasty.

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.

鲜xiānfresh food

sea and fresh food combine to mean food from the sea.

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.

氵每海

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

每

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

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 鮮; 鲜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

魚魚yúfish

Sound part声符shēngfú

羴

羴shān鮮xiān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鮮 pairs 魚 (fish) with 羴, which gives the sound; this note is about 鮮, not 鲜.

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