香榭丽舍 (Xiāng xiè lì shè) — Champs-Élysées

Definition

noun

Champs-Élysées

香榭丽舍。
Wǒ qù nián qù le bā lí de Xiāng xiè lì shè.
I went to the Champs-Élysées in Paris last year.
香榭丽舍。
Xiāng xiè lì shè Shì bā lí zuì zhù míng de jiē dào zhī yī.
The Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in Paris.
香榭丽舍。
Měi nián yǒu hěn duō yóu kè zài Xiāng xiè lì shè shàng sàn bù.
Every year many tourists take a walk on the Champs-Élysées.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

香's early form paired 黍 (glutinous millet) with 口 (mouth), perhaps showing millet drink being taken in or offered.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木射榭

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood; wooden structure

Sound part声符shēngfú

射

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

榭 has 木, a wooden structure, and 射 for its sound; the original hall was used for archery.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 麗; 丽 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 麗 originally showed a deer with antlers. The simplified 丽 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

Sound part声符shēngfú

余

余yú舍shè

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

舍 is 余 plus 口. 余 was the original picture for this word, and 口 was later added to distinguish it.