董 (dǒng) — surname

Definition

noun
surname
Easily confused

Examples

  • 董。
    dǒng Xiān sheng shì zhōng guó rén.
    Mr. Dong is Chinese.
  • 董。
    dǒng Nǚ shì shì yí wèi yī shēng.
    Ms. Dong is a doctor.
  • 董。
    Wǒ xìng dǒng.
    My surname is Dong.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng董dǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

董 is made of 艸 (grass) and 重, which is used for the sound.

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