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物理学家 (wù lǐ xué jiā) — physicist

Definition

noun
physicist
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 物理学家。
    Zhè wèi wù lǐ xué jiā huò dé le nuò bèi ěr jiǎng.
    This physicist won the Nobel Prize.
  • 物理学家。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù xiǎng dāng yì míng wù lǐ xué jiā.
    She wanted to become a physicist since she was young.
  • 物理学家。
    Hěn duō wù lǐ xué jiā zài yán jiū liàng zǐ lì xué.
    Many physicists are studying quantum mechanics.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

物理学physics
物wùthing理lǐprinciple学xuéstudy
家jiāspecialist

物 and 理 give the sense of principles of things, 学 gives the sense of study, and 家 gives the sense of a specialist.

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
牛牛niú
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù物wù
Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →

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
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ理lǐ
Same sound today

理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.

Open 理 →

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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Open 学 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →
Appears in
Physics & ChemistryProfessions & Jobs

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