砂砾 (shā lì) — grit, gravel | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

gritgravel

Easily confused

砂砾。
Zhè tiáo lù shì yòng shā lì pū chéng de.
This road is paved with gravel.
砂砾。
shā lì Bèi shuǐ liú chōng dào le àn biān.
The gravel was washed to the shore by the current.
砂砾。
Hái zi de shǒu zhǐ fèng lǐ jiá zhe shā lì.
There was grit stuck between the child's fingers.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

砾lìgravel

砂 gives sand and 砾 gives small stones, naming loose gritty gravel.

Characters in this word

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

石少砂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

石石shístone

Sound part声符shēngfú

少

Same sound today

砂 pairs 石 (stone) with 少, whose full form is 沙, as its sound part. It was first a variant of 沙, which showed sand along a riverbank.

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 礫; 砾 is its simplified writing.

石樂礫

Meaning part形符xíngfú

石石shístone

Sound part声符shēngfú

樂

樂lè礫lì

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 礫 pairs 石 (stone) with 樂 as a sound part; the simplified 砾 is a later shorthand.