(xiù) — (noun) rust; (verb) to rust

Definition

Examples

  • Zhè bǎ jiù dāo shàng quán shì xiù.
    This old knife is covered in rust.
  • Tiě fàng zài cháo shī de dì fāng róng yì shēng xiù.
    Iron rusts easily when placed in a damp place.
  • Wǒ yòng le chú xiù jì cái bǎ mén xiū hǎo.
    I used a rust remover to fix the door.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 鏽; 锈 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
xiù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The etymology shown is for 鏽: 鏽 pairs 金 (metal) with 肅 as the sound part.

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