触 (chù) — to touch, to come into contact with (physically); to move (someone's emotions), to stir up (feelings); (bound form) touch, contact, trigger (used in compounds)
Definition
触 (chù) is a bound root meaning 'to touch / to make contact' — both physically and emotionally (触动 'stir', 触发 'trigger'). It almost always appears as the first half of a compound; the standalone verb form is rare.
verb
to touchto come into contact with (physically)to move (someone's emotions)to stir up (feelings)
bound form
touchcontacttrigger (used in compounds)
Examples
- 触。Tā de shǒu qīng qīng chù dào le nà fú huà.His hand gently touched that painting.
- 。Tā de huà shēn shēn chù dòng le wǒ de xīn.His words deeply moved my heart.
- 。Zhè ge shì jiàn chù fā le shè huì gè jiè de tǎo lùn.This event triggered discussions from all sectors of society.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 觸; 触 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 觸 uses 角 for the meaning and 蜀 for the sound; the simplified 触 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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