读物 (dú wù) — reading material | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

reading material

Measure word · 本

Examples

读物。
Wǒ zhèng zài dú yì běn guān yú lì shǐ de dú wù.
I am reading a history reading material.
读物。
Zhè xiē dú wù hěn róng yì lǐ jiě.
These reading materials are easy to understand.
读物。
Tā xǐ huan kàn kē xué dú wù.
He likes to read science reading materials.

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.

读 (read) and 物 (thing) combine to mean things to read.

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 讀; 读 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yánto say

Sound part声符shēngfú

𧶠

𧶠𧶠讀dú

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 讀 is made of 言 ('to say') and 𧶠 (giving the sound); this description is about 讀, not 读.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

勿wù物wù

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Reading & Writing

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