紫藤 (zǐ téng) — Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)

Measure word · 棵

Examples

紫藤。
Huā yuán lǐ zhǒng le yì kē zǐ téng.
A wisteria was planted in the garden.
紫藤，。
Chūn tiān zǐ téng kāi huā, fēi cháng piào liang.
In spring the wisteria blooms and is very beautiful.
紫藤。
Zhè zhū zǐ téng yǐ jīng cháng le shí nián le.
This wisteria has been growing for ten years.

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.

紫zǐpurple

紫 (purple) and 藤 (vine) name a purple-flowered vine.

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.

此糸紫

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

此

此cǐ紫zǐ

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

紫 is made of 糸, a silk-related part, and 此, which gives the sound cǐ.

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

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

滕

滕téng藤téng

Same sound today

藤 combines 艸 (grass) and 滕, which gives the sound, to write a type of plant.

Appears in

Plants & Flowers

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