花岗石 (huā gǎng shí) — granite

Definition

noun
granite
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 花岗石。
    Zhè zuò jì niàn bēi shì yòng huā gǎng shí jiàn zào de.
    This monument is built of granite.
  • 花岗石。
    Chú fáng de tái miàn xuǎn yòng le hēi sè huā gǎng shí.
    The kitchen countertop is made of black granite.
  • 花岗石。
    Dì zhì xué jiā zhèng zài fēn xī zhè kuài huā gǎng shí de kuàng wù chéng fèn.
    Geologists are analyzing the mineral composition of this piece of granite.

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.

花岗granite
花huā岗gǎng
联绵Bound pair
石shístone

花岗 points to the speckled granite, and 石 means stone.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà花
Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

Open 花 →

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 崗; 岗 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
岡
岡gāng崗gǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 崗 uses 山 to show a hill or mountain and 岡 to carry the sound; the simplified 岗 is a later shorthand.

Open 岗 →

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.

Open 石 →

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