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蛇形 (shé xíng) — snake-like, serpentine, S-shaped

Definition

Describes something shaped or moving like a snake — winding, twisting, S-shaped. Used for roads, rivers, dance, and other curves.

adjective
snake-likeserpentineS-shaped

Examples

  • 蛇形。
    Zhè tiáo shé xíng gōng lù wān wān qū qū de.
    This serpentine highway is full of twists and turns.
  • 蛇形。
    Wǔ zhě tiào le yì zhī shé xíng wǔ.
    The dancer performed a snake-like dance.
  • 蛇形。
    Hé shuǐ de shé xíng lù xiàn fēi cháng yōu měi.
    The river's serpentine course is very graceful.

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.

蛇shésnake
形xíngshape

"蛇" means snake and "形" shape, describing a snake-like form.

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
虫虫chóng
Sound part声符shēngfú
它
它tā蛇shé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蛇 combines 虫 with 它; 它 gives the sound and was also the original form of this character.

Open 蛇 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
井
井jǐng形xíng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

形 is made from 彡 and 井, with 井 providing the sound.

Open 形 →
Appears in
Shapes

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