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蝶 (dié) — butterfly (bound morpheme); butterfly-shaped (in compounds)

Definition

蝶 (dié) is a bound morpheme meaning 'butterfly' — it never stands alone and is always paired with 蝴 to form the word 蝴蝶. It also appears in compounds (e.g. 蝶形 'butterfly-shaped').

bound form
butterfly (bound morpheme)butterfly-shaped (in compounds)

Examples

  • 。
    Hú dié zài huā jiān fēi wǔ.
    Butterflies dance among the flowers.
  • 。
    Tā xǐ huan shōu jí gè zhǒng hú dié de biāo běn.
    She likes to collect specimens of various butterflies.
  • 。
    Zhè zhǒng huā wén de xíng zhuàng xiàng hú dié.
    The shape of this pattern is like a butterfly.

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
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
枼
枼yè蝶dié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蝶 combines 虫, showing an insect-like creature, with 枼, which gives its sound.

Appears in
Insects

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