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猕猴桃 (mí hóu táo) — kiwi fruit

Definition

noun
kiwi fruit
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 猕猴桃。
    Wǒ tè bié xǐ huan chī mí hóu táo.
    I especially like eating kiwi fruit.
  • 猕猴桃。
    Zhè ge mí hóu táo hěn tián.
    This kiwi fruit is very sweet.
  • 猕猴桃。
    Tā mǎi le jǐ jīn mí hóu táo.
    He bought a few jin of kiwi fruit.

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.

猕猴macaque
猕mímacaque猴hóumonkey
联合Coordinate
桃táofruit

猕猴桃 names a 桃 (fruit) associated with 猕猴 (macaques), hence kiwifruit.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
侯
侯hóu猴hóu(r)
Same sound today

猴 pairs 犭, the animal part, with 侯, which gives the sound.

Open 猴 →

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
兆
兆zhào桃táo(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

桃 combines 木, meaning tree, with 兆, which gives the sound.

Open 桃 →
Appears in
Fruits

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