笑容 (xiào róng) — smile; smiling expression | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

笑容 is a written-form noun for a 'smile' (the expression on a face). Compare 微笑 (a gentle/delightful smile) and 笑 (the verb 'to smile/laugh'); 表情 is the broader 'facial expression'.

noun

smilesmiling expression

Measure word · 副

Examples

笑容。
Nà ge nǚ hái de xiào róng fēi cháng kě ài.
That girl's smile is very cute.
笑容，。
Kàn dào tā de xiào róng, wǒ men dōu hěn fàng xīn.
Seeing his smile, we were all of us felt relieved.
笑容。
Tā yǒu yí fù càn làn de xiào róng.
She has a brilliant smile.

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.

容róngappearance

The smiling action in 笑 and the face or appearance in 容 combine to mean a smiling look.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

艸

艸cǎo笑xiào

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

An early 笑 used the grass 艸 for the sound and the dog 犬 for the meaning; later it was written with 竹 and 夭.

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀mián

Sound part声符shēngfú

公

公gōng容róng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 容, the 宀 (roof) part points to holding or containing, and 公 gives the sound.

Appears in

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