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美籍 (Měi jí) — of American nationality (used as an attributive modifier)

Definition

美籍 means 'of American nationality' and is used only as a modifier before a noun (e.g., 美籍华人, 美籍教授) — it never stands alone as a predicate. Pronounced Měi jí, it is more formal and written than saying someone is 美国人.

adjective
of American nationality (used as an attributive modifier)

Examples

  • 美籍。
    Tā shì Měi jí huá rén.
    He is a Chinese American.
  • 美籍。
    Zhè wèi Měi jí jiào shòu jiào wǒ men yīng yǔ.
    This American professor teaches us English.
  • 美籍。
    Hěn duō Měi jí qiú yuán zài zhōng guó dǎ qiú.
    Many American players play ball in China.

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.

美měiAmerica
籍jínationality

美 refers to America and 籍 refers to nationality; together they mean American nationality.

Characters in this word

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

美 shows 大, a person, wearing 羊, a headdress of feathers or ram's horn.

Open 美 →

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
𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
耤
耤jí籍jí
Same sound today

籍 pairs 𥫗 (bamboo, written as 竹) with 耤 for the sound. The bamboo part is for bamboo census books.

Open 籍 →
Appears in
Ethnic Groups & Nationalities

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