绿宝石 (lǜ bǎo shí) — emerald | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

emerald

Measure word · 颗

绿宝石，。
Tā dài zhe yí chuàn lǜ bǎo shí xiàng liàn, fēi cháng piào liang.
She is wearing a string of emerald necklace, very beautiful.
绿宝石，。
Zhè kuài lǜ bǎo shí lái zì nán měi zhōu, yán sè hěn chún zhèng.
This emerald comes from South America and has a very pure color.
绿宝石。
Tā shōu cáng le jǐ kē zhēn guì de lǜ bǎo shí.
He has collected several precious emeralds.

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.

宝石precious stone

偏正Modifier + head

绿 means green, and 宝石 is a precious stone; together they name an emerald.

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 綠; 绿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

彔

彔lù綠lù

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

The traditional form 綠 uses 糸 to show silk and 彔 for sound; the simplified 绿 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 寶; 宝 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 寶 shows 宀 (house), 琡 (jade), and 貝 (cowry), drawn together as treasures in a house.

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

The shape of 石 shows a stone under a cliff-like overhang, or a cave set into a cliff side.