记事簿 (jì shì bù) — notebook; notepad

Definition

noun
notebooknotepad
Measure word · 本

Examples

  • 记事簿。
    Wǒ zài wǒ de jì shì bù lǐ xiě le hěn duō zhòng yào de xiǎng fǎ.
    I wrote many important ideas in my notebook.
  • 记事簿。
    Zhè běn jì shì bù shì péng you sòng gěi wǒ de shēng rì lǐ wù.
    This notebook is a birthday gift from a friend.
  • 记事簿。
    Tā bǎ měi tiān de gōng zuò dōu jì zài jì shì bù shàng.
    He records his daily work in the notebook.

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.

记事record events
记jìrecord事shìevents
动宾Verb + object
簿bóbook

记事 records events and 簿 is a book; together they form a notebook.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 記; 记 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech; words
Sound part声符shēngfú
己
己jǐ記jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 記 pairs 言 (speech; words) with 己 as a sound part; the simplified 记 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 记 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
溥
溥pǔ簿bù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

簿 used for book, pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 溥; 竹 is the meaning part and 溥 gives the sound.

Open 簿 →

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