菌类 (jūn lèi) — fungi (a kingdom of organisms that includes mushrooms, molds, and yeasts)

Definition

noun
fungi (a kingdom of organisms that includes mushrooms, molds, and yeasts)
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 菌类，。
    Zhè zhǒng jūn lèi kě yǐ shí yòng, wèi dào hěn xiān měi.
    This type of fungus is edible and tastes very delicious.
  • 菌类。
    Sēn lín lǐ shēng zhǎng zhe gè zhǒng gè yàng de jūn lèi.
    All kinds of fungi grow in the forest.
  • 菌类。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū zhè zhǒng jūn lèi de yào yòng jià zhí.
    Scientists are studying the medicinal value of this fungus.

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.

菌jūnfungus
类lèicategory

菌 means fungus and 类 means category, so the word denotes the fungal category.

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cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
囷
囷qūn菌jūn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 艹 is a plant sign, and the lower 囷 gives the sound.

Open 菌 →

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 類; 类 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
頪
頪lèi類lèi
Same sound today

The traditional form 類 pairs 犬, which relates to the meaning, with 頪, which gives the sound. The simplified 类 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 类 →

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