细长 (xì cháng) — long and thin; slender

Definition

adjective

long and thinslender

细长，。
Tā de shǒu zhǐ hěn xì cháng, shì hé tán gāng qín.
Her fingers are long and slender, suitable for playing the piano.
细长，。
Zhè tiáo wéi jīn shì xì cháng de, kě yǐ rào hǎo jǐ quān.
This scarf is long and thin, so it can be wrapped around several times.
细长。
Nà zhǒng xì cháng de yè zi shì zhè zhǒng zhí wù de tè zhēng.
Those long, thin leaves are characteristic of this plant.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

细 (thin) and 长 (long) combine to mean long and slender.

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 細; 细 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

囟

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

The traditional form 細 pairs 糸, silk or thread, with 囟 for the sound. The simplified 细 is a later shorthand, and the old right part changed shape.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Appears in