(zhòu) — (verb) to wrinkle, to crease; (noun) wrinkle, crease

Definition

皱 (zhòu) is the verb/noun for the action or surface itself — paper crumpling, pants creasing, skin folding. 皱纹 is the noun for a wrinkle as a visible line, especially on skin.

verb
to wrinkleto crease
noun
wrinklecrease
Measure word ·

Examples

  • Tā xiào de shí hou yǎn jiǎo huì zhòu qǐ lái.
    When she smiles, the corners of her eyes wrinkle up.
  • Zhè tiáo kù zi tài jǐn le, zuò xià shí róng yì zhòu.
    These pants are too tight; they wrinkle easily when you sit down.
  • Tā de yī fu shàng yǒu hǎo duō zhòu wén.
    There are many wrinkles on his clothes.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 皺; 皱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
chúzhòu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 皺 pairs 皮 (skin) with 芻 as a sound part; the simplified 皱 is a shorthand and its visible parts are not the historical ones.

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