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荷兰语 (hé lán yǔ) — Dutch (language)

Definition

noun
Dutch (language)

Examples

  • 荷兰语？
    Nǐ huì shuō hé lán yǔ ma?
    Can you speak Dutch?
  • 荷兰语。
    Wǒ zhèng zài xué hé lán yǔ.
    I am learning Dutch.
  • 荷兰语。
    Zhè běn hé lán yǔ shū hěn yǒu yì si.
    This Dutch book is very interesting.

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.

荷兰Netherlands
荷hé兰lán
语yǔlanguage

荷兰 names the Netherlands, and 语 means language, so it denotes Dutch.

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
何
何hé荷hé
Same sound today

荷 has 艸, the grass/plant form, to show a plant, and 何 to give the sound.

Open 荷 →

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 蘭; 兰 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎoplant
Sound part声符shēngfú
闌
闌lán蘭lán
Same sound today

In the traditional form 蘭, 艹 marks it as a plant and 闌 stands for the sound; the simplified 兰 is a later shorthand, not the original parts.

Open 兰 →

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 語; 语 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
吾
吾wú語yǔ
Same sound today

The form 語 pairs 言 (speech) with 吾, which gives the sound; this note is about 語, not 语.

Open 语 →
Appears in
Language

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