芋头 (yù tou) — taro (a starchy root vegetable) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

taro (a starchy root vegetable)

Measure word · 个

Examples

芋头。
Wǒ mā ma zuò de yù tou tāng hěn hǎo hē.
The taro soup my mom makes is delicious.
芋头，。
yù tou Kě yǐ zhēng zhe chī, yě kě yǐ zhǔ zhe chī.
Taro can be steamed or boiled.
芋头。
Wǒ zuì xǐ huan chī yù tou dùn pái gǔ.
I like eating taro stewed with spare ribs the most.

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.

芋 names the plant and 头 gives the familiar word for it.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艸艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

于

于yú芋yù

Same sound today

In 芋, 艸 marks a plant, and 于 gives the sound, to name taro.

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.

豆頁頭

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.

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