除法 (chú fǎ) — division (mathematics) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

division (mathematics)

除法。
Xiǎo xué shēng zài shù xué kè shàng xué xí jiā jiǎn chéng chú fǎ.
Elementary school students learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in math class.
除法。
Chéng fǎ hé chú fǎ hù wéi nì yùn suàn.
Multiplication and division are inverse operations of each other.
除法。
Zhè dào chú fǎ tí de jì suàn bù zhòu bǐ jiào fù zá.
The calculation steps for this division problem are relatively complex.

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.

除 specifies the kind of 法, giving the method of division.

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

余

余yú除chú

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

除 is built from 阜 and 余, with 余 giving the sound.

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

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

廌廌zhìa type of antelope or caprid

Sound part声符shēngfú

盍

盍hé法fǎ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

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