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阮 (ruǎn) — (bound form) a plucked stringed instrument, the ruan (Chinese lute); (surname) Ruan

Definition

阮 (ruǎn) is a Chinese lute — a round-bodied, plucked stringed instrument used in traditional and modern ensembles. As a bound form it appears in compounds like 阮琴 and 阮咸 (the instrument's formal name).

bound form
a plucked stringed instrumentthe ruan (Chinese lute)(surname) Ruan

Examples

  • 阮。
    Tā zhèng zài xué xí tán ruǎn qín.
    He is learning to play the ruan.
  • 阮。
    ruǎn Lǎo shī shì wǒ men xué xiào de yīn yuè lǎo shī.
    Teacher Ruan is the music teacher at our school.
  • 阮。
    Zhè chǎng yīn yuè huì yòng le liǎng bǎ ruǎn xián.
    This concert used two ruanxian (ruan lutes).

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
元
元yuán阮ruǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

阮 pairs 阝 (written fully as 阜) for the meaning with 元 for the sound.

Appears in
Music

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