院 (yuàn) — courtyard; compound (in 院子); institute; college; academy (in 学院, 研究院); government institution; public facility (in 法院, 医院)
Definition
院 (yuàn) is a bound form — it never stands alone but combines with other characters to name a place. In 院子 it means a walled courtyard; in 学院 / 研究院 it means an academic institute; in 法院 / 医院 it means a public institution or facility.
bound form
courtyardcompound (in 院子)institutecollegeacademy (in 学院, 研究院)government institutionpublic facility (in 法院, 医院)
Examples
- ，。Zhè ge yuàn zi hěn dà, lǐ miàn zhǒng le hěn duō huā.This courtyard is very big; many flowers are planted inside.
- 。Tā zài zhè suǒ dà xué de xué yuàn xué xí fǎ lǜ.He studies law at this college of the university.
- 。Jīn tiān xià wǔ wǒ yào qù fǎ yuàn páng tīng.This afternoon I'm going to the court to sit in on a hearing.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.
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