生物学家 (shēng wù xué jiā) — biologist

Definition

noun

biologist

Measure word · 位

生物学家。
Zhè wèi shēng wù xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū xīn de yì miáo.
This biologist is researching a new vaccine.
生物学家。
Xǔ duō shēng wù xué jiā rèn wéi qì hòu biàn nuǎn huì yǐng xiǎng shēng tài xì tǒng.
Many biologists believe that global warming will affect ecosystems.
，。
Tā shì yì míng hǎi yáng shēng wù xué jiā, jīng cháng chū hǎi kǎo chá.
She is a marine biologist who often goes on sea expeditions.

Characters in this word

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

Same sound today

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

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.

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.

Appears in