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狮子座 (Shī zi zuò) — Leo (astrology/astronomy)

Definition

noun
Leo (astrology/astronomy)

Examples

  • 狮子座，。
    Tā shì Shī zi zuò de, xìng gé hěn zì xìn.
    He is a Leo, and his personality is very confident.
  • 狮子座。
    Xià jì de yè kōng zhōng hěn róng yì zhǎo dào Shī zi zuò.
    It's easy to find Leo in the summer night sky.
  • 狮子座。
    Shī zi zuò De rén tōng cháng hěn yǒu lǐng dǎo lì.
    People born under Leo usually have strong leadership.

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.

狮子lion
狮shīlion子zǐsuffix
后缀Suffix
座zuòconstellation

狮子 means lion and 座 means constellation, naming Leo.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獅; 狮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog; beast
Sound part声符shēngfú
師
師shī獅shī
Same sound today

The traditional form 獅 pairs 犭 (dog; beast) with 師, which gives the sound; the simplified 狮 is a shorthand.

Open 狮 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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
广广guǎnghouse on cliff
Sound part声符shēngfú
坐
坐zuò座zuò
Same sound today

座 pairs 广, a house on a cliff, with 坐 to give the sound.

Open 座 →
Appears in
Sky & Space

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