目录 (mù lù) — table of contents (of a book or document); cata… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

目录 means 'table of contents / catalog / directory' — a structured list that organizes or locates items. 清单 is just a plain checklist; 目录 implies a systematic, often hierarchical arrangement like a book or file system.

noun

table of contents (of a book or document)cataloglist (of products, items, etc.)directory (on a computer)

Examples

目录。
Zhè běn shū de mù lù zài kāi tóu bù fen.
The table of contents of this book is at the beginning.
目录。
Nǐ kě yǐ zài chǎn pǐn mù lù lǐ zhǎo dào suǒ yǒu xíng hào.
You can find all models in the product catalog.
。
Bǎ zhè ge wén jiàn yí dào gēn mù lù xià.
Move this file to the root directory.

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.

录lùrecord

“目” means an item or entry, and “录” means a record, together meaning a record of items.

Characters in this word

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

目 began as a drawing of a human eye, turned sideways.

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 錄; 录 is its simplified writing.

金彔錄

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

彔

彔lù錄lù

Same sound today

The traditional form 錄 combines 金 (metal) with 彔, which gives the sound; the simplified 录 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 HSK 2.0 Level 5 Computers & Internet Reading & Writing

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