舌 (shé) — tongue (bound form, used in compounds)
Definition
舌 is a bound form (tongue) that only appears inside compounds like 舌头 (tongue) and 舌尖 (taste, tip of the tongue). You will never see it used on its own.
bound form
tongue (bound form, used in compounds)
Examples
- 。Yī shēng ràng tā shēn chū shé tou.The doctor asked him to stick out his tongue.
- 。Tā men liǎng rén zhǎn kāi le shé zhàn.The two of them started a verbal battle.
- 。Xiǎo xīn bié yǎo dào shé tou.Be careful not to bite your tongue.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
舌 was drawn as a snake's forked tongue rising from an open mouth.
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