馆藏 (guǎn cáng) — to hold in one's collection (of a museum, libra… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

verb

to hold in one's collection (of a museum, library, etc.)

Examples

馆藏。
Zhè jiā bó wù guǎn guǎn cáng le shàng qiān jiàn zhēn guì wén wù.
This museum holds thousands of precious cultural relics in its collection.
馆藏。
Tú shū guǎn guǎn cáng de dà liàng gǔ jí kě gōng xué zhě chá yuè.
The large number of ancient texts held in the library's collection are available for scholars to consult.
馆藏。
Měi shù guǎn guǎn cáng le xǔ duō zhù míng huà jiā de zuò pǐn.
The art gallery holds many works by famous painters in its collection.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

馆藏 pairs a museum or library with storing, meaning it holds items in its collection.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 館; 馆 is its simplified writing.

飠官館

Meaning part形符xíngfú

飠Written in full as食shí

Sound part声符shēngfú

官

官guān館guǎn

Same sound today

The traditional form 館 is made of 食, written as 飠 on the left, and 官 on the right; 官 provides the sound. The simplified 馆 is a later shorthand.

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

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

臧

臧zāng藏cáng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

藏 is made from 艸 (grass) and 臧, where 臧 gives the sound.

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