TongTong
Sign in

金发 (jīn fà) — blond hair

Definition

noun
blond hair
Measure word · 头

Examples

  • 金发。
    Tā yǒu yì tóu piào liang de jīn fà.
    She has beautiful blond hair.
  • 金发。
    Nà ge jīn fà nǚ hái shì wǒ de tóng xué.
    That blond girl is my classmate.
  • 金发。
    Tā de jīn fà shì tiān shēng de.
    His blond hair is natural.

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.

金jīngold
发fāhair

金 gives 'gold', and 发 gives 'hair', making blond hair.

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.

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Open 金 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →
Appears in
ColorsBody Parts3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.