照相 (zhào xiàng) — to take a photo, to take a picture

Definition

A common colloquial verb for 'to take a photo.' Compare 拍照 (slightly more everyday, more action-focused) and 照 (shorter, also 'to shine on').

verb

to take a phototo take a picture

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

照zhàophotograph

照 (photograph) and 相 (image) combine to mean taking a picture.

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.

灬昭照

Meaning part形符xíngfú

灬Written in full as火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

昭

Same sound today

照 uses 灬, a bottom form of 火 (fire), plus 昭 for the sound.

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

木目相

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Appears in