造纸 (zào zhǐ) — to make paper

Definition

A literal compound verb meaning 'to make paper' — 造 ('to make/produce') + 纸 ('paper'), used for the manufacturing process itself.

verb
to make paper

Examples

  • 造纸。
    Zhè jiā gōng chǎng yǐ jīng zào zhǐ yì bǎi nián le.
    This factory has been making paper for a hundred years.
  • 。
    Tā yé ye nián qīng shí zài zuō fang lǐ zào guò zhǐ.
    His grandfather made paper in a workshop when he was young.
  • 造纸，。
    Gǔ rén yòng shù pí hé má bù zào zhǐ, fēi cháng xīn kǔ.
    Ancient people made paper from tree bark and hemp cloth, which was very laborious.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

造zàomake
纸zhǐpaper

造 means make and 纸 means paper, so 造纸 is the act of making paper.

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
辵辵chuòto walk
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
屮
屮chè造zào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Its origin is unclear, but early forms of 造 include 辵 (to walk) and 口, with 屮 as a sound part, and mean go or arrive.

Open 造 →

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 紙; 纸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
氏
氏shì紙zhǐ
Same sound today

For 纸, the traditional form 紙 combines 糸 (silk) with 氏 (the sound part).

Open 纸 →

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