红墨水 (hóng mò shuǐ) — red ink | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

red ink

Measure word · 瓶

红墨水。
Tā yòng hóng mò shuǐ zài shì juàn shàng pī gǎi cuò wù.
He used red ink to mark errors on the test paper.
红墨水，。
Zhè píng hóng mò shuǐ kuài yòng wán le, xū yào zài mǎi yì píng.
This bottle of red ink is almost empty; we need to buy another one.
红墨水。
Lǎo shī xí guàn yòng hóng mò shuǐ xiě zì yǐ shì zhòng diǎn.
The teacher is used to writing with red ink to indicate key points.

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.

墨水ink

偏正Modifier + head

'红' means red, while '墨水' means ink (literally '墨' water), together forming red ink.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

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

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

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

黑土墨

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔsoil

Sound part声符shēngfú

黑

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

墨 is built from 土 (soil) and 黑, with 黑 giving the sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.