阿拉伯文 (A lā bó wén) — Arabic language; Arabic script / writing system

Definition

noun
Arabic languageArabic script / writing system

Examples

  • 阿拉伯文，。
    Tā xué le sān nián A lā bó wén, xiàn zài néng dú ā lā bó xīn wén le.
    He studied Arabic for three years, and now he can read Arabic news.
  • 阿拉伯文，。
    Zhè fēng xìn shì yòng A lā bó wén xiě de, wǒ kàn bù dǒng.
    This letter is written in Arabic; I can't read it.
  • 阿拉伯文。
    Hàn zì hé A lā bó wén de shū xiě fāng xiàng wán quán bù tóng.
    The writing directions of Chinese characters and Arabic script are completely different.

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.

阿拉伯Arab
阿ā拉lā伯bó
文wénwriting

阿拉伯 names the Arab people, and 文 means writing or language.

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
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
可
可kě阿ā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The part 阜 points to a mound, and 可 gives the pronunciation; 阿 originally meant a big mound.

Open 阿 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái伯bó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

伯 pairs 人 (person) with 白, which gives its sound.

Open 伯 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →

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