马萨诸塞州 (Mǎ sà zhū sài zhōu) — Massachusetts (US state)

Definition

noun
Massachusetts (US state)

Examples

  • 马萨诸塞州。
    Wǒ zhù zài Mǎ sà zhū sài zhōu.
    I live in Massachusetts.
  • 马萨诸塞州。
    Mǎ sà zhū sài zhōu Zài měi guó de dōng běi bù.
    Massachusetts is in the northeastern United States.
  • 马萨诸塞州。
    Tā qù nián qù le Mǎ sà zhū sài zhōu dú shū.
    He went to Massachusetts to study last year.

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.

马萨诸塞
马mǎ萨sà诸zhū塞sāi
州zhōustate

The Massachusetts name '马萨诸塞' is combined with '州' to mean the state.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Open 马 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 萨 →

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 諸; 诸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě諸zhū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 諸 pairs 言 (speech) with 者; 者 gives the sound.

Open 诸 →

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

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 工工gōngtwo items
  • 廾廾gǒngtwo hands

塞 combines 宀 (house), 工 (two items), and 廾 (two hands), showing hands stuffing items into a house.

Open 塞 →

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

州 originally drew an islet in a river.

Open 州 →

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