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脚趾头 (jiǎo zhǐ tóu) — toe

Definition

noun
toe
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 脚趾头。
    Wǒ de jiǎo zhǐ tóu bù xiǎo xīn tī dào le zhuō zi tuǐ.
    I accidentally kicked my toe against the table leg.
  • 脚趾头。
    Tā tú le hóng sè de zhǐ jia yóu zài jiǎo zhǐ tóu shàng.
    She painted red nail polish on her toes.
  • 脚趾头。
    Zǒu lù shí zhù yì bié ràng jiǎo zhǐ tóu shòu shāng.
    Be careful not to hurt your toes when walking.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

脚趾toe
脚jiǎofoot趾zhǐtoe
偏正Modifier + head
头tóuending

脚趾 names the toe, and 头 completes the familiar spoken word.

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 腳; 脚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body
Sound part声符shēngfú
卻
卻què腳jiǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 腳 uses ⺼ for a body part and 卻 for the sound; the simplified 脚 is a later shorthand.

Open 脚 →

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

趾 combines 足 (foot) with 止, which meant foot and supplied the sound; the earliest written form was 止.

Open 趾 →

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 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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