窦 (dòu) — (bound form) hole, cavity, aperture; small door; (surname) Dou
Definition
窦 (dòu) is almost never used alone — it appears as a bound form, mainly in 鼻窦 (sinus cavity) and the literary word 疑窦 (grounds for doubt). It is also the surname Dou.
bound form
holecavityaperturesmall door(surname) Dou
Examples
- ，。Tā dé le bí dòu yán, xū yào qù yī yuàn.He got sinusitis and needs to go to the hospital.
- 。Zhè jiàn shì kàn qǐ lái hái yǒu yí dòu.This matter still seems full of doubt.
- 。Dòu lǎo shī jiào wǒ men lì shǐ.Teacher Dou teaches us history.
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 竇; 窦 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧶠
𧶠𧶠竇dòu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 竇 pairs 穴 (hole) with 𧶠 for the sound; the simplified 窦 is a shorthand, and its lower part is not a sound part.
Appears in
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