码 (mǎ) — (classifier) yard (unit of length); (noun) code; number (in compounds); (verb) to pile up; to stack
Definition
码 (mǎ) has three distinct uses: a classifier for length ('yards', as in 码/一码), a noun meaning 'code' or 'number' in compounds (密码, 号码), and a verb meaning 'to stack/pile up' (same as 堆).
classifier
yard (unit of length)
noun
codenumber (in compounds)
verb
to pile upto stack
Examples
- 码。Wǒ xū yào mǎi sān mǎ bù lái zuò chuāng lián.I need to buy three yards of cloth to make curtains.
- 138。Tā de shǒu jī hào mǎ shì 138 kāi tóu de.His phone number starts with 138.
- 码。Tā bǎ xiāng zi dōu mǎ le qǐ lái.She stacked all the boxes up.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 碼; 码 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
馬
馬mǎ碼mǎ
Same sound today
The traditional form 碼 pairs 石 (stone) with 馬 for its sound; the simplified 码 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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