英国式 (yīng guó shì) — British style, in the British manner

Definition

adjective
British stylein the British manner

Examples

  • 英国式。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng tí gōng yīng guó shì de xià wǔ chá.
    This restaurant offers British-style afternoon tea.
  • 英国式。
    Tā shuō huà de fāng shì hěn yǒu yīng guó shì de shēn shì fēng dù.
    His way of speaking has a very British gentlemanly manner.
  • 英国式。
    Zhè zuò jiàn zhù cǎi yòng yīng guó shì de shè jì lǐ niàn.
    This building adopts a British-style design concept.

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.

英国Britain
英yīngEnglish国guócountry
偏正Modifier + head
式shìstyle

The name 英国 and the style sense of 式 give a British manner.

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
央
央yāng英yīng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

英 pairs 艹 (grass) with 央, which gives the sound.

Open 英 →

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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
工工gōngwork
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì式shì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

式 pairs 工, meaning work, with 弋, which gives the sound.

Open 式 →

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