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钱夹 (qián gā) — wallet

Definition

noun
wallet
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 钱夹。
    Wǒ bǎ qián gā fàng zài kǒu dài lǐ le.
    I put my wallet in my pocket.
  • 钱夹。
    Tā de qián gā lǐ yǒu hěn duō xiàn jīn.
    His wallet has a lot of cash.
  • 钱夹。
    Zhè ge qián gā shì zhēn pí zuò de.
    This wallet is made of genuine leather.

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.

钱qiánmoney
夹jiáclip

钱 names money and 夹 names the clip, together a thing that holds 钱.

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 錢; 钱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal; gold; money
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān錢qián
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 錢 combines 金, meaning metal or money, with 戔, which gives the sound; the simplified 钱 is a later shorthand.

Open 钱 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 夾; 夹 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 夾 draws a person with two people beside or under the arms, giving the idea of holding or sandwiching between sides.

Open 夹 →
Appears in
Everyday Objects

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